


Look Up

by eleshi



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hospital, Major Illness, character illness, i cant handle anything remotely emotional op, i changed the ending bc i got too sad, whoopsies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-02
Updated: 2018-07-11
Packaged: 2018-11-22 04:13:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 33,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11372346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eleshi/pseuds/eleshi
Summary: “Severe pneumonia,” Lance laughed at the words. “Ever heard of it? Me neither.”//Lance McClain doesn't need help. Or, so he thought. A stay at the hospital and some unique new friends happen to be the cure.





	1. Chapter 1

Lance was living in a nightmare. Or a fairy tale. Or maybe even a cheesy teenage angst novel. But this could not be a real life situation. 

He sat in the doctor’s office, leaning back in his uncomfortable metal chair. He had taken the x-rays. Now, all that was left to do was wait.

Severe pneumonia. The words replayed in his head over and over again. 

“How long have these symptoms been occurring?”

“Six months.”

Lance’s response had definitely shocked Dr. Wallace, his family’s doctor. He seemed uneasy when he went to check on the x-rays.

Lance wasn’t one to ask for help. He liked figuring things out on his own. That’s what led him to live for six months with a congested cough and a winded stride. 

The door opened suddenly, and the tall boy sat up. 

“So,” Dr. Wallace shut the door behind himself, before sitting in his own chair. “We have a bit of an issue.” 

Lance sucked in a breath. Doctors should never start their analysis with this. “Is everything...okay?”'

“You have an infection in your lungs, as you probably already know,” Dr. Wallace clicked his pen. Open. Closed. Open. Closed. “Your lungs have proceeded to fill with unnecessary fluids, so now your air sacs in your lungs are inflamed.”

This all sounded foreign to Lance. Breathing had started to become painful about three months before this appointment. He cursed himself for not going then. “What does this mean?” He tried to smile. “Can I breathe under water now?” 

Dr. Wallace laughed a hollow, empty laugh. “That sure would be cool.”

So, no. He can’t.

The doctor continued. “You will have to be admitted to Altea’s recovery unit as soon as possible. We can’t let the bacteria sit any longer, though it seems it isn’t a life or death situation at the moment. I’ll call the hospital and let them know that you’ll be in tomorrow.”

Lance coughed. Oh yeah, something was wrong there. He could hear the mucus in his lungs. “Tomorrow?” He squeaked. “Sir, I have a swim meet tomorrow night, and it’s super important. Im positive one more day is okay.”

“Wrong,” Dr. Wallace stood up, silently calling the appointment to an end. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Mr. McClain.”

Lance sat in the room a few minutes longer. This will be all over soon. Flush that water out, bada bing, bada boom. Over before he knew it.  
~ Telling the family was a mess. Within ten minutes of Lance walking through the door, he had the whole familia bawling. And he had a LOT of family. 

Sleep wasn't an option. 

So, Lance stuck with laying in his bed, staring up at the plastic stick on stars he put on his ceiling when he was eight. The blue painted walls felt as if they were closing in. 

The door creaked open. The clock read 2:56 A.M.

“Lance?”

It was a tiny, feminine voice. Lina, his cousin, who had been staying with them for a bit while other matters were being sorted out. She had taken a liking to the older boy, adopting him as her brother figure. Lance took pride in it.

“Lina,” he said with a smile, sitting up. “Come in.”

The girl closed the door slowly, cautious of noise. They didn’t want the whole house awake. Lance patted the mattress next to him, and Lina launched herself on to the bed. 

“Lance,” she repeated, as her tiny body snuggled up next to him. “I don’t want you to leave.”

Lance looked down at her, mocking a surprised look. “Leave? Lina, this is my vacation. People come back from vacation, yes?”

Lina nodded, her green eyes sparkling. “I’ve never been on vacation.”

More mock surprise. “No way,” Lance kept his mouth in an O shape. It made his cousin laugh. “Well, then, I’ll have to take you somewhere.”

“Really?” The green eyes were brighter now. 

“Mhm. Anywhere you want to go, we can go.”

Lina thought, a hand on her chin. She saw Lance do this often. Finally, she whipped her head up. 

“Mexico.”

“Mexico?” Lance hadn’t seen this coming. He thought Disney World was going to be the grand decision. Lina was quite obsessed with Disney princesses. 

“Yes,” she nodded.

“Then that’s it,” he laid down, pulling Lina down with him. “When I get back from my vacation, we’ll go to Mexico.”

It was lights out as soon as Lance’s head hit the pillow.  
-  
The morning went by too fast. 

Lance knew he would be going back home soon, but the whole ordeal made him nervous. 

The hospital was average sized. There were a few different wings; the ICU, the ER, recovery, and therapy. The words made Lance feel sick feel sick to his stomach. 

Lance’s father put the car in park, stealing a look at his son. “Well.”

“Well,” Lance nodded at the building in front of them. “This looks inviting.”

His dad laughed before stepping out of the pick up truck. He was a man a few words, but he always seemed to get his point across. 

The secretary sitting at the front desk of the recovery wing was frantically typing on her computer. Part of Lance didn't want to interrupt whatever she was doing, since her wild eyes were scanning the screen faster than a machine could. 

Before he could speak, the lady turned to them. “Hello,” even her words sounded rushed. She picked up a stack of file folders, staring at Lance. “Name?’

“Lance McClain,” his voice cracked. What a great first impression. She shuffled through and found his folder, examining it. 

“Room 224,” she set the folder on the opposite side of the desk, away from Lance and his father’s eyes. Her hair bobbed as she quickly waved over a nurse with light, almost white hair. “Allura! Be a doll and take these nice people to their room, please.” And with that, she was back to typing, mumbling to herself about the work load. 

The nurse, Allura, appeared next to the desk. Her eyes were a bright blue, her skin tan and flawless. She wore light purple scrubs, which fit her perfectly. Lance had never seen someone wear scrubs with such finesse. 

“This way,” she smiled slightly, leading them towards a set of doors. Once they walked through, she sighed. “So sorry about that. Our secretary’s name is Nyma. I’m sure she didn’t have the time to tell you that.”

Lance was at a loss for words. He could only muster a small noise from the back of his throat. She looked too young to be a nurse. His age, at most. 

“I’m Allura, as you’ve already heard,” she continued to speak as they turned a corner and stepped into an elevator. “I’ll be your nurse.”

YES. Happiness fulfilled. 

“Mmmhhmmm,” Lance still couldn’t speak. Luckily, Allura didn’t seem to notice. 

“There’s been a bit of a, how do I word this, strain on the number of recovery rooms,” the elevator doors opened, and they stepped out into another hallway. 

“You'll be sharing a room. Don’t worry, it isn’t just you. Most patients are.”

Lance found his voice, and he was about to question the room topic when Allura stopped in front of a door. 224. 

“Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to wait out here for a moment while we get Lance settled. It will only take a few minutes,” Lance’s father nodded, gladly taking a seat. . 

Lance wasn’t expecting the room to be large, but he wasn’t expecting this either. There was a window on the far side of the room, and a TV up on the wall. It was covered by a curtain. A small bathroom was to the right, and there was even a dresser. It would have been fine if there had only been one bed. But, as Allura, had told him, there were two. They were parallel to each other, both facing the TV. And the one closest to the window was inhabited by a small...child?

“Lance,” Allura interrupted his thoughts. “This is Pidge. Your roommate.”

Pidge didn’t look up from the computer they were tinkering with. Their hair was short, with a caramel tint to it. Large glasses enveloped their face, the computer screen reflecting off the lenses as it flickered to life. They were small, petite, and feminine. But at the same time, not feminine. Lance felt the need to question. 

Allura cleared her throat, finally grabbing Pidge’s attention. They shot up, seeming to attempt to appear taller, and jumped out of bed. Multiple IVs were stuck in their arm, so as they maneuvered around the furniture, they brought a metal rack with bags along with them. Soon enough, Lance was looking down at the small figure. 

“Hi,” a hand stuck out beneath the oversized hospital gown. “I’m Pidge.”

Lance had nothing to do but shake the small hand that was offered to him. He smiled a signature smile. “The name’s Lance.”

Pidge nodded, as if they had make up their mind about something. “I’ll be back.”

They scooted past Allura and Lance, and disappeared down the hall. 

“Sorry about that,” Allura tucked a piece of loose hair behind her ear. “She’s, they’re, uh. Distracted.” She walked over and picked up the computer, placing it high up on the dresser. 

Lance laughed. Because of Pidge’s height, they would never be able to reach it. 

“Anyways,” Allura turned to Lance. She pointed to the bed. “This one’s yours. Your doctor will be in to get you hooked up in a moment.”

“Dr. Wallace?” Lance perked up at the sound of a familiar name.

Allura shook her head. “No. His name is Coran. And yes, we are instructed to call him by that.” She laughed to herself. It was a beautiful sound. Lance reddened.

As soon as Allura left, Lance sat on the plain bed. It was comfy, but it wasn’t home. Though, he shouldn’t be here for long.

The door opened. A taller man, with bright red hair and a matching mustache, walked in. He seemed like the bubbly sort. 

“Hello!” He said suddenly. “My name is Coran, and I’m going to be your doctor during your time here. I suppose you met my intern, Allura.”

Oh, Lance thought. That makes more sense.

“If you’ll lie down please, I’ll get your IVs ready.”

Lance completely forgot. What came with hospitals? Needles. He was not a fan. Coran noticed immediately that the boy was nervous.

“Don’t worry,” Lance was picking up a slight accent coming from the man. “It will only feel like a pinch.” It hurt, nonetheless.

After that was taken care of, and a few tests were run, Coran excused himself to go figure out the next step. Mr. McClain didn’t stay long, just enough to say goodbye, and that the family would visit soon.

And then Lance was alone. For a solid five minutes.

He saw a head peek into the room, looking around. Pidge.  
“Is Coran in here?”

Lance shook his head. Confusion seemed to be a pattern with his roommate. 

“Perfect,” they smiled, shuffling quietly into the room. Three others slipped in through the doorway before Pidge shut it.

In front was a tall boy, well, man. He had black hair, with a fluff of white in the front, and a scar across his nose. He looked tough, and Lance felt intimidation creeping in. The man’s small smile softened the mood. He was missing his right arm. An IV line was stuck in his left arm, but there wasn’t a bag of fluid attached. He didn’t seem to need it.

Next was a bigger boy, his dark hair tied back with a bandana. He was tan; Lance guessed Hawaiian. He had circular stickers pressed onto his chest, with lines leading down to a monitor. Like Pidge, he had a fluid bag holder. A smile was spread across his face, one that made everyone in the room feel secure.

The last face sparked his memory. He knew him from somewhere. The pale skin, the dark hair cut into a mullet style, the small but strong figure. Lance couldn’t remember his name. The solemn boy had an oxygen tank, one with wheels. Two tubes connected below his nose, giving him the air from the tank. He had neither an IV drip or a bag holder. Pidge was the first to speak.

“Sorry about the whole sneaking around part. Keith isn’t allowed to walk around at will.”

Keith. Keith Kogane. His cross country rival.

“Well, if it isn’t Keith Kogane,” Lance crossed his arms, wincing as his IV cords twisted.  
Keith frowned. “Do I know you?”

“Um,” Lance raised an eyebrow. “The name’s Lance. We were in the same class in eighth grade.”

More clueless looks from Keith.

Lance huffed. “We were cross country rivals! Do you not remember? Keith and Lance, neck and neck.” 

“Okay!” Pidge interrupted. “Lets let go of this weird, rivalry thing, because it’s freaky. Lance, it sounds like you already know Keith. The big guy is Hank, and Mr. Bionic is Shiro." 

Everyone smiled warmly and waved but Keith, a smug look plastered on his face.

Hunk stepped as gingerly as his size would let him towards Lance’s bed. “What’s wrong with you, buddy?” He made a mental note to hug him later. 

Normally this question would have shocked him. It didn’t now.

“Severe pneumonia,” Lance laughed at the words. “Ever heard of it? Me neither.”

“You’re in the hospital for that? A cough?” This came from Keith. Lance had never wanted to get up and punch someone more.

“Keith,” Shiro nudged him, though he even looked curious. 

“Well,” Lance cleared his throat. “I let it go for six months. Apparently my lungs are full of stuff? I don’t know.”

“Sounds serious,” Pidge said, dragging a chair over to the dresser. They had found the computer Allura had hid.

“Nah,” Lance shrugged. “I should be out of here in no time.”

The four looked at each other, as if deciding on who should explain the situation.

“Lance,” Shiro was the one who decided to speak. He seemed to know what to say. “You’re staying in the long term recovery area.”

The room fell silent. Lance felt his head begin to spin. How bad could this be? They said he didn’t have anything to worry about. He had the feeling that there were some secrets being kept.

Pidge coughed, sending Lance out of his trance. “We have all been here for quite a while. With me having Meningioma, Hunk with Cardiomegaly, Shiro battling Schistosomiasis, and Keith having lung disease, we’ve all had our time.”

“Pidge? I speak English,” Lance shot them yet another confused look

Pidge sighed, sitting on their bed. “I have a brain tumor. Well, had. Hunk has too big a heart, Shiro was too busy ‘parkouring’ to realize that he had deadly bacteria in his arm, and Keith’s dad is an ass and gave him lung cancer.”

They said this so calmly, Lance was surprised that they were possibly talking about life or death situations. 

“Boys, make yourselves at home,” Pidge was typing on the computer. If it had been broken before, it sure wasn’t now. “I just got into the system, so Coran is now busy elsewhere.”

“You can do that?” Lance turned towards the group of people now lounging in chairs. Hunk had to sit by himself, since the rack of fluid bags seemed to be a pain to drag around. No one answered, so he took that as a yes. 

Pidge pulled the curtain away from the TV and grabbed the remote. "What will it be today?” 

A few answers bubbled up, but one arose more frequently.The pick turned out to be Star Wars. 

“Shall we marathon it?” Shiro turned to face the rest of them. “On second thought, it’s only 3 p.m., and Coran will probably realize soon enough that Pidge messed with the system.”

“Okay,” Pidge sat up. “I only moved around a few schedule places. Lance, you probably won’t be able to figure out details for a while..but hey. Worth it. 

Lance disagreed. He wanted to know now. 

So after watching ‘Star Wars: A New Hope’, Shiro, Keith, and Hunk snuck out. It wasn’t the most stealthiest sneak. Hunk's rack and Keith’s oxygen tank wheels rattled when they walked. No one seemed to notice.

“So,” Pidge broke the silence after everyone was gone. “How do you feel?”

They seemed generally interested. It was a reassuring feeling.

“Okay,” Lance leaned back, picking at the tape placed over his IV drip. “I just don’t know why I’m in long term care. It’s pneumonia, c’mon.”

Pidge stared blankly at him. “Pneumonia you let sit for half a year. That isn’t healthy.”

Lance groaned. He knew this. Everyone he had talked to had told him that. It was common knowledge.

“Well,” Pidge kept talking. “At least you’re not in the ICU. That place is bad news.”

The ICU. Lance remembered that place. His father had to stay there when he had a quadruple bypass. The many hours spent there, walking down the white, plain hallways, wondering if his dad was going to be okay, brought back memories he didn’t really want to remember. 

“You said a brain tumor got you here?” Lance quickly changed the subject. 

“Meningioma,” Pidge used the scientific term. “It’s a usually non cancerous tumor in the brain. Mine had become cancerous, but it was treated right away, so it didn’t have time to spread. I’m still here so they can make sure it doesn’t come back.”

“Ah.” Lance couldn’t look Pidge in the eyes. Their condition was much worse than his. “What about mullet? What’s his deal?”

Pidge raised an eyebrow. “Keith? He developed lung cancer from his stupid dad’s smoking habits. He doesn’t deserve it either. Why do you hate him, again?”

Lance put a hand on his heart sarcastically. “I never said I hated him! How could you think that of me?”

“For that reason exactly,” the computer light flashed, earning a curse from Pidge. “Want to know more personal information about everyone else?”

“I mean, sure, the more you know, right?”

“I was being sarcastic, Lance,” Pidge sighed as they fiddled with some buttons. “But I guess I’ll comply. Hunk, the big guy, has cardiomegaly, which basically means his heart is too big. It leads to worse problems, but he got fixed up before that could occur. Shiro, well, that’s a story. He was quite the dare-devil, or so I heard. One time, he was doing some tricks with his buddies by a river. He cut his arm, but just played it off, and when he got into the water, deadly bacteria got into his bloodstream and kind of took over. Yikes, I know. That’s how he lost his arm. He’s here so they can track the bacteria and make sure it hadn’t gone anywhere else.”

Any of them could have died. But here he was, with a cough, littling in the wake of the other’s problems. The thought felt heavy in his chest.

“Hey, you okay?” the little voice from the other bed calmed his nerves. “I’m sorry for telling you, I guess it’s kind of a hard topic.”

“No, no, it’s fine.” Lance played it off with a smirk. “Nothing I can’t handle.”

Pidge rolled their eyes and continued to mess with the lights on the computer. The clock on the wall said 3:30. The time was passing like honey; slow, but fast. 

 

Soon enough, there was a knock at the door. The computer went flying landing perfectly on the couch. Pidge got under the covers and closed their eyes, pretending to be asleep. This left Lance to answer the knock. 

“Uh, come in?” 

The door opened, and Coran stuck his face in the crack. “Was that a questionable come in? Or can I enter?”

Lance held his breath. Coran was back, meaning he had an analysis done. Lance couldn’t decide if he was ready to hear it.

“Oh, sorry, yeah, come in.” his voice shook. What happened to his smooth mannerisms? This place was really sucking the life out of him.

Coran walked in with a clipboard, Allura right behind him. No pressure. Lance thought. Just a hot nurse here to watch me stutter and struggle.

“Alright!” Coran grabbed a swivel chair from behind the desk in the front corner of the room. Had that been there the whole time? “So. Do you want the good news or the bad news first?”

Lance heard Pidge’s breath hitch. Apparently they got the same spiel. “Um, bad?”

The doctor glanced at the clipboard, as if preparing how he was going to break the news. “Well. Your condition is worse than we anticipated. It seems that the bacteria have settled pretty deep into your lungs, and some have started to make their way into other internal organs.” He paused, taking a breath. “But! You get to stay here for a bit, which is fun, right?”

Um, no. This is not at all what Lance expected. He expected a quick, ‘Hey, let's suck that fluid out of there, and then you can be on your merry way’. 

“O-okay,” he tried his best not to stutter with Allura standing right there. She didn’t seem to notice, and if she did, she didn’t care.

“We’ll start procedures tomorrow. Don’t worry, we hear of this happening a bit.”

Lance sat up. “Me? Worry? Never.” Even his sarcastic comments were wobbly.

After Coran and Allura left, Pidge flipped over to face Lance. “You’re worried.”

“Well, yeah?” Lance leaned back against the pillows. “Wouldn’t you be?”

“I was,” they sighed. “Now I’m worried for you.”

Lance grabbed the TV remote, turning it on and flipping through channels. He needed a distraction. 

“I know,” Pidge continued. “It gets easier to accept.”

He let his thoughts wander to Shiro, and Hunk, and Keith. How did they all seem so nonchalant about everything happening to them? The way they carried themselves, all strong and proud. They should be.

“Hey,” Pidge didn’t stop trying. Lance was thankful for that. “Today is Friday, right?”

Lance didn’t need a reminder that today was the day of the big swim meet. He should be qualifying for state, instead of sitting in a hospital sulking. "Mhm." 

“Fridays are special for us here in recovery,” Pidge turned completely so that they were sitting criss cross, chin in hand, staring at the upset boy in the bed parallel to them. “Do you like space?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! So this is chapter one, sorry if it’s rough start. There’s a few things I want to put out there, so please read below, it’s pretty important.
> 
> 1) First of all, I AM NOT A DOCTOR. I do not know a whole lot of hospital terms, so if you see something vague or incorrect, I’m very sorry. Feel free to comment if you know something that was mentioned in the fic but not named. I’ve done a whole lot of research on medical terms and equipment, but sometimes it falls through.  
> 2) This is not going to be strictly a klance fic. Yeah, it’s going to have that in there, but I want to put a spotlight on all of the relationships/friendships/ect. Don’t worry, your daily dose of klance will be delivered. But other character relationships matter too!  
> 3) I haven’t seen this done before, but if it has been, let me know; I’ll try to make it as unique as possible so I don’t mess with anyone else’s fic.  
> 4) Again with the whole hospital knowledge thing, some of the stuff in here may not be completely correct along the lines of what’s allowed in a hospital and what isn’t. I’m aware that some of the actions in this fic may not be realistic. That’s why it’s a fic. I’m doing this for fun and so that you all can enjoy it.
> 
> Enough of that, thanks everyone for reading! I’ll try to update as much as possible, but I want to put out quality content, so it may take up to a week. Thanks again!


	2. Chapter 2

Pidge snuck down the hallway, carrying their bag rack instead of rolling it on the tile. Lance trailed behind, trying to figure out Pidge’s motive. The day went by quicker than he expected; it was completely dark out, and only the overnight nurses were left in the building.

“Pidge,” Lance groaned softly, ducking through a doorway. “It’s 11 p.m.. What are we doing?”

Pidge turned around and abruptly placed a finger on Lance’s lips. “Shut up.”

“Woah,” he chuckled as they continued to walk, or rather, sneak. “Take me to dinner first.”

Lance received a glare in return for his sarcastic comment. They moved further down the hallway before turning a corner and stopping in front of a door. It was dark, with only a couple lights overhead. The door seemed to be out of sight from anyone just walking down the hall, and as Pidge opened it, the hinges creaked. Lance remembered something like this happening on ‘Chicago P.D.’. 

The stairwell was dim, and Lance suddenly had a fear of the dark. As Pidge led him further down, he heard voices.

Oh, so it’s a group murder. Lance thought. Gotcha.

It wasn’t a group murder. But it was a group. The same group from earlier. The movie gang.

Just as Pidge and Lance stepped onto the landing, Hunk approached them. “Hey, guys!” He hugged Pidge, and smiled at Lance. His bag rack was still connected. “Welcome to paradise.”

The small landing they were all standing on was filled with bean bag chairs. The chairs were facing a giant window, the glass reaching the ceiling. Lance could see the horizon, and the stars shining above it. It was breathtaking.

“Well,” Pidge patted Lance’s shoulder. “Have a seat.”

Lance plopped himself down into a blue bean bag chair, glancing around at everyone else. They took their seats also, some having more difficulty than others. 

“So, is this a cult, or what?” He laughed. It sounded like a joke, but Lance was partially serious. This was nice and all, but really? A meeting, at 11 o’clock at night?

A few chuckles were sounded in response, but no one answered the question. Finally, after at least a minute of silence, Shiro coughed in embarrassment. “Oh, shit, sorry. No, not a cult. I guess you could call it a club.”

“The astronomy club for misfits,” Lance smirked, glancing at his new friends. “I like it.”

It was quiet for a few minutes, everyone content with watching the sky. The lights of the city were behind them, so the stars were only partially washed out. The only noise in the staircase was the occasional sigh from Hunk or a fizz from Keith’s oxygen tank.

Shiro was the first to move out of the trance. He pulled out a large book from behind his black chair, the cover being a picture of what looked like the Milky Way. “What will it be today?”

Pidge shifted in their seat. “Kerberos.” Lance wondered why they looked so uncomfortable.

“Kerberos it is,” Shiro flipped to the index, scanning the page. He looked up. “No luck.”

“Really?” Pidge grabbed the book. They flipped through it quickly before coming to the same solution. “Huh. I swear, I saw it…” 

As Pidge pulled out their phone, Hunk turned to Lance. “So, Lance. Tell us about you.” His friendly demeanor made the aura less intimidating.

“Ah,” Lance racked his brain for information about himself. It’s so strange, how little you know about yourself. “I’m seventeen, I’m on the high school swim team, um...I want to be an astronaut. I love space. But, I mean, who doesn’t?”

The group nodded in agreement. Lance felt the pressure lifted off his shoulders. 

“An astronaut, huh?” Shiro grinned. “You’ll fit in just fine here.”

Keith crossed his arms and muttered something under his breath, earning a disappointed look from the oldest boy.

Lance noticed the action. “Think you can do any better, Mullet?”

“What did you just call me?” Keith sat up in his seat, arms no longer crossed. He looked intimidating; his dark hair falling over his face, his eyes sparkling a shade of purple in the moonlight. The tan boy took in the color of his skin. Milky white. 

“C’mon, don’t act like you don’t like it,” Lance smirked, deeming it his turn to cross his arms and lean back. 

“Got it!” Pidge smiled, holding up the device. “It’s just as cool as Matt said it was.”

All that was on the screen was what looked like a white smudge. 

Pidge continued. “Kerberos is a small natural satellite of Pluto, about 7.5 miles in its longest dimension. It was the fourth moon of Pluto to be discovered. There isn’t much information on it, I’ll have to do some more searching. I’m not sure why Matt is so obsessed.”

“Matt is obsessed with anything that has to do with space,” Shiro laughed lightly. “I’m sure that’s where you get it from.”

“Who’s Matt?” Lance asked, playing with the tag of his chair. He couldn’t keep still. 

“My older brother,” Pidge smiled again. They were obviously close to this Matt character. “He’s my inspiration.”

“And my headache,” Shiro cut in, causing quite a few laughs from everyone, even Keith, who hadn’t shown much emotion since Lance had gotten there. He seemed distracted, his gaze rarely leaving the sky above them. 

Minutes passed. Lance saw a shooting star or two. Pidge called them all first.

Hunk moved his arm in front of his face, glancing at his watch. “12:30. Looks like it’s time to bring this to an end.”

“12:30? A.M?” Lance almost fell out of his chair. “It’s been an hour and a half?”

“Goes by quick when you’re having fun,” Hunk smiled, standing and grabbing the stand of his IV bag rack. “I’mma hit the hay guys.”

“Me too,” Shiro and Keith said simultaneously. It appeared that they were always in sync.

Pidge pointed to a small closet door hidden under the stairs. “Well, then let’s disperse.” They said it in such a funny tone, Lance couldn’t help but giggle. Yes, giggle. He wasn’t proud of it either. 

After shoving the bean bag chairs into the closet, and saying their goodbyes, the group trudged up the stairs and went their own ways. They had been walking a but before Pidge grabbed Lance’s arm and pulled quickly him around a corner.

“Again, Pidge, don’t get ahead of yourse-.”

“Shh,” Pidge pressed their finger to Lance’s lips again, cutting him off. “I hear something.”

Footsteps. There were two things running through their minds. A nurse was patrolling the hall, or a security guard saw them during their escapade and they were about to get busted. Either way, neither of them wanted to get caught.

As the footsteps drew closer, Lance grew restless. “Pidge,” he whispered. “If we never get the chance to talk again, I just want to let you know that you’re almost as cool as me.”

“Thanks,” Pidge mumbled, watching the floor for a shadow. 

Suddenly, there was a flash of color, a rush of footsteps, and the two found themselves face first on the floor. Too scared to move, Lance laid there on his stomach, eyes squeezed shut.

He didn’t move until he heard the laughing. 

In his peripherals, Lance spotted a dark haired boy wearing black, and a taller one in a superman t-shirt. Shiro and Keith.

“Really?” Pidge sat up and glared at the boys. “C’mon, you had us terrified!”

“That was the goal,” Keith laughed into his hand, face flushed and eyes watery. Lance took in this version of him. He kind of liked it better than aggravated Keith. His smile suited him. 

Shiro continued explaining, while attempting to catch his breath. “We were headed the same way, so we thought we’d accompany you guys. Might as well have a little fun with it.”

“Better watch out,” Lance finally spoke up. “This means war.”

“You’re on,” Keith stepped forward, taking the challenge away from Shiro. “It can be like cross country all over again.”

“Oh, so you do remember?” Lance took another step closer, face to face with his chosen ‘rival’. Keith smelled nice, like fresh brewed coffee and hospital.

“I hate to break this little fiasco up,” Pidge stepped in between them, placing their hands on both chests. “But we’re being super loud and it’s very late, if you haven’t noticed.”

“Right,” there was Shiro, taking the role of the dad. “Let’s get to our rooms, kids.”

He riffled Keith’s hair, for effect. Keith swatted at his arm, his face going back to its usual state. Lance felt a feeling of disappointment, for he liked smiling Keith. He shuddered at his own thoughts. 

The room was the same way as it was when they left. Lance collapsed on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He missed his plastic glow in the dark stars. He made a mental note to ask his mom to bring them. After all, he was going to be here for a long time. So he’s heard.

“Hey,” Pidge was, yet again, sitting on their bed, facing Lance. “Tell me about your family.”

This seemed like more of a demand than a request. It was too quiet in the room, the only sound being the soft beeping of a machine. Lance hated it.

“Well, I have a whole load of them,” Lance laughed, thinking about his crazy family. “I have two brothers, three sisters, and a cousin that’s staying with us. And mami and papi. This household is one word: loud.”

Pidge let out a soft laugh. “When are they coming to visit?”

“Monday, I think.”

“Ah,” the short caramel colored hair shifted. “Matt’s coming tomorrow.”

Lance thought for a moment. Matt, Pidge’s brother. Shiro had been talking about them. “What’s your brother like? Is he as cool as me?”

“Almost,” Pidge gave in to Lance’s teasing. “He, um, got in an accident a couple years ago. He’s still recovering. It’s been tough. He isn’t the same. Kind of...unstable. I just thought I’d warn you before you got to see him for yourself.”

Unstable? That word scared Lance. It had so many different meanings. It could be that you’re just energetic and flamboyant. Or that you can’t be alone for too long. Or that you’re mental. It appeared that Matt fit into the category of the last choice.

“Anyway,” Pidge continued, slipping under the covers and adjusting their IV drip. “I’m going to sleep now. You don’t want to see me sleep deprived.”

This left Lance alone with his thoughts. He too tucked himself in, snuggling against the pillows. His mind started to wander, as it usually did late at night. He liked to keep track of his thoughts; it helped him feel more content with himself. Am I prepared for this? Why was I so stupid to just let this go? One day, I won’t exist. Should that play out now? Am I a sparkler, bright and exciting, until it burns out?

It’s called deep thoughts time for a reason.

Lance fell asleep to the sound of a dripping faucet and Pidge’s faint breathing.

~

“Lance?”

“He isn’t waking up.”

“Someone get Coran, now.”

Lance scrunched his nose. What time was it? 

He opened his eyes slowly, morning sleep covering part of his eyelids. When he could finally see, he was greeted with a good number of eyes peering down at him, looks of concern covering their faces. “Oh? Has the party started already?”

“Lance!” Pidge hit his leg. “God, we thought something was seriously wrong.”

Lance grinned. “Nope. I guess not. Got a problem?”

There was a wave of nods. 

“Are you feeling okay?” Shiro stepped up. “Coran came in earlier, but you were sound asleep. He’ll be back to check up in, about, ten minutes.”

“Oh,” Lance leaned back. “So soon?”

“You have pneumonia,” Keith pointed out. “You shouldn’t just sit it out.”

Lance bubbled with irritation. “Woah, no kidding!” He cursed himself for his sarcastic outbreaks. “Sorry.”

“We should go,” Shiro nodded to the others, silently announcing their departure. “Coran will be here soon, and we don’t want to intrude.”

“No, please,” Lance was surprised at his own sudden outbreak. The group stopped in their tracks and turned to him. “I kind of need someone to stay. Not that I can’t do it alone, but...moral support, you know?”

Shiro smiled, as if he knew that this would be the response. 

It was silent until Coran entered the room.

“Hello!” he waltzed into the room, startled by the group of people in the room. “Is there a problem?”

“No problem,” Hunk looked at the rest of them for approval. “Just here to help a friend.”

Friend.

Lance’s eyes widened at the word. Even though he was a star athlete, and he was considered ‘popular’ in school, he didn’t really have any good friends. People to hang out with, or talk to about his problems. He’d only known these people for a day, and at least one of them considered him a friend. 

“Alright then,” Coran didn’t seem to have a problem with the crowd watching him work. “We don’t really know what’s going on.”

“What?” Lance raised his eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

“We’ve had these kinds of cases before, with the elderly and babies, but not with someone your age,” he continued. “We don’t know what treatments we can perform and what we cannot.”

Silence filled the air again, before Lance broke it. “So..am I just going to sit here?”

“We’re going to do what we always do and try and flush out some excess fluids from your lungs. See what information we can grab. We can do it tomorrow.”

“Okay,” Lance shook his head. “So now we wait.”

“Yes! I wouldn’t worry, just try to get some rest. I’ll send Allura in a few hours to get some mandatory meds going.” He said this so casually, it made Lance shudder. And with that, the doctor left.

“So,” Lance looked over at his companions. “Pretty exciting stuff, huh?”

“I’m angry,” Pidge’s expression reflected their mood. “How could they not know? I bet I could find something online in five minutes.”

“Finding something online isn’t the same as a doctor’s analysis,” Shiro even looked distraught. 

He still couldn’t get a word out of Keith. Not that he wanted to. 

“Let’s talk about something good,” Hunk sat up straight on the couch. “What do you guys want to do today?”

“Matt’s coming at three,” Pidge glanced at the clock on the wall. It was two o’clock. “Has anyone eaten lunch?”

Everyone said no but Hunk, who told them that he would gladly eat again. 

“Well, to the cafeteria then.”

The cafeteria was on the first floor. Today, only Hunk and Lance had their IV’s and bags. Pidge had theirs disconnected, a small IV drip dangling from the inside of their elbow. It was only a small struggle to fit them all in the elevator. According to Pidge, going to get food was allowed for patients in recovery. If they asked permission.

They did not ask.

Since it was nearly 2:15 in the afternoon, there wasn’t anyone eating lunch. It was buffet style, so everyone got different things to eat. Lance decided on mexican; he missed his mom’s cooking.

He took a seat next to Keith. “Hey, Keith. Buddy. Pal.”

“Your honor,” Keith mumbled, staring at the pasta he got. 

“Ha, ha,” Lance nudged the sour boy. “What’s up?”

“I’m eating,” he started to pick at the noodles. 

Lance shrugged. “Great conversation,” he picked up his fork. “I’m intrigued by you, Kogane.”

Pidge rolled their eyes. “C’mon, let him go. If he isn’t full of angst, he isn’t Keith.”

“Hey,” Keith finally decided to defend himself. “I am not full of angst. I’m just...quiet.”

“Quiet my ass,” Pidge laughed, cutting into a waffle. Lance couldn’t judge; breakfast food is breakfast food. 

Shiro looked at Pidge. “Pidge, when do you get out of here?”

They shrugged. “Soon, I guess. I mean, I’m fine here. Dad just left for Paris for a month, scientist thing, and Matt lives with someone already, so this is as good as it gets. You?”

“Maybe soon,” Shiro seemed to have a similar answer. “I like it here. Only because of you guys.”

A group. For one of the first times in his life, Lance felt like he belonged somewhere. But this wasn’t a time to get all sappy.

His foot touched something metal. It clanged, and Keith’s head snapped up. “Hey! Watch it.”

“Sorry, sorry,” Lance reached down to steady the tank that had started to tip over. His hand brushed Keith’s, and he felt himself get red. He needed a diversion. “Maybe you shouldn’t have put it there.”

Keith was just as red. “Where should I put it then? On the moon?”

They continued to quarrel, and Pidge had started to roll their eyes, before jumping up and running towards the door. “Matt!”

A tall boy that looked like an older version of Pidge walked through, smiling and laughing at the sight of their sibling racing towards them. 

“They haven’t seen each other in a while,” Shiro explained, smiling at the two. “Matt just left for college at Yale.”

“Yale?” Lance opened his mouth. “So we have a robot among us?”

“I guess you could put it that way.”

Pidge took Matt’s hand and led him over to the group. They smiled. It seemed that Matt had a secret touch. “Matt, you know Shiro and Keith. This is Hunk, and Lance,” they pointed at the curious bunch. “Lance is my new roommate.”

Matt pushed his glasses higher onto his nose. “Any friend of Pidge’s is a friend of mine.”

There was that word again. Friend. 

“Are you hungry?” Pidge gripped Matt’s arm. “We just ate, but we can wait for you.”

“No, no,” Matt smiled reassuringly. “I’m fine.”

“We can go to Keith’s and I’s room,” Shiro stood, patting Matt on the back. “It’s good to see you, buddy.”

So there was obviously a connection between the two. Lance brain itched to know the backstory.

When they got to the room, Lance noticed that it was fairly similar to the one he was staying in. The same white walls, the two beds, the TV. But it was homier, as if Shiro and Keith planned to live her for a quite a while. They already had, hadn’t they?

Shiro walked over to a cabinet, pulling out the board game ‘Apples to Apples’. “Who’s ready for some heated competition?”

Lance made eye contact with Keith. “Me, for sure.”

Shiro placed the box on the small coffee table in the corner, surrounded by a couch and three chairs. For fun, Lance chose the spot on the couch by Keith. Intimidation was key. 

“Alright,” Pidge took out the cards and laid them on the table. “Everyone knows the rules, right? Good, because I’m not reading them.” They hadn’t given time for a response. Lance didn’t question it. 

Hunk started with the word. “Explosive,” He laughed at the word. “God, I’m scared.”

There were a few giggles as people handed their cards to Hunk. He shuffled them before flipping them over, like the good sport he was. 

“Yellowstone Park, skunks, my friends, an all-you-can-eat buffet, and the attack on Pearl Harbor,” he laughed. “Guys, those are horrible. You can’t say stuff like that.”

“It’s all part of the game, pretty boy,” Lance smirked. He felt Keith shift on the seat next to him. “Go on, choose.”

“Um,” Hunk placed his hand on his chin, evidently having a tough time choosing. “I feel so bad, but Pearl Harbor.”

Lance cheered, grabbing at the card. “That’s my boy!”

After a few rounds of that, and Lance continuing to win, they called it a game and settled in to watch a movie. 

“Hey, how about Lord of the Rings? It’s one of Matt and I’s favorites,” Shiro smiled at his friend. “I actually have it somewhere, hold on.”

When he stood up to grab the movie, Lance peered behind him and saw something on the ground. A prosthetic arm. It was obviously Shiro’s, but why didn’t he use it?

“Found it!” Shiro’s excited voice broke Lance’s train of thought. “So it begins.”

“Oh hey, Shiro,” Matt hadn’t spoken much since he’d gotten here. He had something to say now. “I was watching these the other day, and I found something. So you know how Gollum wasn’t always Gollum? Well, what if, instead of being a hobbit turned by the ring, he is actually a personality inside the ring. Everyone who claims it ultimately turns out to act like Gollum. But the name ‘Gollum’ is pretty close the word ‘golem’, the mythological creature which is made of inanimate materials, but given life from an outside force. Gollum came from the ring.”

Silence, broken by a small “woah”, from Hunk. 

“Matt reigns again,” Shiro smiled at Pidge, who was looking down at their feet. “Let’s see if his theory is correct.”

Lance had never seen Lord of the Rings, so little did he know that it was almost four hours long. It was eight o’clock by the time they finished. 

“Woah,” Hunk repeated as the credits appeared on the screen. “Matt, I see it.”

“Me too,” Keith looked amazed. 

Shiro looked at the clock. “I hate to say it, but it’s a little late. Matt, I don’t want you driving this late.”

“I’ll be fine,” he stood up, using the arm of his chair to steady himself. “I’ve played enough GTA to know what I’m doing.”

Everyone laughed. Pidge’s laugh sounded nervous. 

Hugs commenced. Lance headed back to the room alone; Pidge had wanted to say goodbye to Matt in private. He got lost, of course, but eventually he made it. He showered, washed his face, brushed his teeth, and almost fell asleep by the time Pidge got back. Their soft voice from the bed over kept him from sleeping.

“Lance?”

“Yeah?” his voice was sluggish.

“Where do you want to be ten years from now?”

Lance paused. He never really thought about this. Of course, there was his dream as a kid. So he went with that.

“In space,” he smiled. “I want to discover something special. Make myself known. For something.”

Pidge was quiet. After a moment, they flipped and stared out the window. “Me too.”

“Really?” Lance looked over at his roommate. 

“Yeah,” they returned Lance’s gaze. “That’s crazy.”

“It is,” Lance pulled his covers up over his shoulders, suddenly feeling cold. He shot them a smirk. “Looks like this was meant to be.” 

“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” Pidge tried to keep a straight face, but failed, and cracked a smile. “Goodnight Lance.”

“Goodnight Pidge.”

Lance fell asleep feeling cold.

~

Shaking.

Sweat covered the sheets, dripping from Lance’s body. He felt like he had been thrown into a pit of fire. At the same time, he was freezing, wrapping more blankets around himself.

Something was wrong.

“Pidge,” he whispered. “Pidge, help.”

“Lance? What’s going on?” Pidge groaned as they sat up. “If there’s a spider, I’m pretty sure you can get up and kill it on your own-.”

They stopped when they saw Lance.

He was red, his skin hotter than July. His breathing had increased, the breaths short and forced. His lips were a blueish color, the sight scaring the younger patient. “I can’t breathe,” he wheezed.

“Lance!” Pidge screamed, throwing off their covers and running over to the other bed, ripping his covers off as well. “Nurse! Help!” 

Lance shook his head and raised his hand to Pidge’s face. His nails were blue. “You’re preeeeeeetttyyy. Everyone is preeeeeetttyy.”

Before a nurse got to the door, Shiro and Keith rushed in. 

“Pidge!” Shiro ran to the bed. “What’s going on?”

“I-I don’t know,” Pidge was shaking. “He woke me up, and, and, asked me for help, Shiro, I don’t know how to help him.”

“A nurse,” Keith pressed the emergency button, yelling for help.

“It’s going to be okay,” Shiro said this to Lance, but sounded like reassurance for Pidge. He went to their side and wrapped them in his arms, rocking them. Pidge was crying.

Lance tossed and turned, getting more and more red. He kept muttering gibberish, his shaking making his voice vibrate. 

A few nurses and a doctor rushed into the room, responding to the button Keith kept pressing. They unlocked the wheels of the bed, preparing to move him to the ICU. “Sir, please calm down.”

“Calm down?” Pidge yelled. “He can’t calm down, he’s having a fucking panic attack, or something!” They broke down into Shiro’s arms. He patted their head, shushing them. Yelling wasn’t going to help anything. Keith joined them, his face pale with fear. They hadn’t known him long, but they felt as if they had. 

“Please go back to your rooms. We’re going to take him to the ICU for treatments,” the doctor looked back at the patients, all huddled. 

“I’m going with him,” Pidge stepped out of their friend’s embrace. “You have to let me go with him.”

“I’m sorry, miss, I’m afraid you have to stay here,” the nearest nurse looked up.

“Don’t ‘miss’ me,” Pidge walked up to Lance, grabbing for him. Keith pulled them away, glancing at Lance as he did so. Tears streamed down their face as Shiro pulled them onto their bed, laying them down. He put an arm over them, halfheartedly holding them down. Keith slowly laid himself down next to Pidge, waiting for them to push him away.

They didn’t.

The friends curled together and watched as Lance was rolled away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well hi,  
> Sorry about that cliffhanger, I had to do it. Mainly because I have some major writers block at the moment pertaining to the timeline of this story. I'm trying to draw it out as long as possible, so I'm aiming for 8-9 chapters.  
> This chapter was all over the place because CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. Gotta get all that bonding in.  
> ALSO. I changed the title, sorry again. I wasn't feeling the old one, and honestly I don't feel this one. But I think it's going to stay.  
> Thanks so much for all the hits and the kudos and everything! This is so amazing, and I'm having a blast writing this for you guys.  
> Thanks again!  
> xoxo


	3. Chapter 3

The last thing Lance remembered was his friends faces and a feeling of pure dread.

A bright light was shining in his face when he woke up. He had obviously been out for a while, since his eyes took a few minutes to adjust to the light. As turned over towards the door, he feeling a sharp pain in his side, leading him to wince in pain. 

The room he was in was not his. Lance couldn’t remember much of the events from the night before. It was small, containing more machines that had their own individual beep. It hurt his head.

What even happened?

Lance moved his arm to press the call button. An IV was stuck in his forearm, and it had started to bruise his skin. 

Coran walked in within a minute of Lance pressing the button. His face was showing an expression of relief. “Good! You’re awake.”

“Coran,” Lance pushed his eyebrows together. “What happened?”

The doctor sat in a chair beside the bed. “It seems that your lungs were filling with fluid faster than the average rate. Some of your vital airways were blocked, keeping you from breathing. We performed a procedure to get some of that fluid out, but we could not get all of it. We can try again in a few days.”

“Ah,” Lance nodded, holding back his fear. “My bad.”

“No, not your bad,” Coran shook his head, his eyes sparkling. “I called your family. They should be coming in later on today. Patients in the ICU get, special privileges, I suppose.”

The ICU. That’s where he was. 

“Special privileges, huh?” Lance smirked. “Like a prince.”

Coran shook his head. “I guess the anesthesia hasn’t worn off yet.” He patted Lance’s shoulder and walked out, squeezing on some germ-x. 

A few minutes passed. Lance fiddled with the TV remote, bored already. 

It was as if Pidge could read his mind. They poked their head in the doorway, waving slightly. “Pst.”

Lance turned to the door, cracking a smile. “Pidge! A sight for sore eyes,” he motioned for them to come in. “Please, give me someone to talk to.”

He soon found that Pidge wasn’t the only one waiting to visit.

Shiro, Hunk, and Keith walking in after Pidge. Hunk smiled, rolling his bag rack in after him. Keith had his oxygen tank, this one contained in a red bag with wheels. He hid it behind his leg. Shiro still wasn’t wearing his prosthetic. 

“Ah! The gang’s all here,” Lance’s smile lit up the whole room, reflecting off of every surface in the room. “What a surprise.”

“How are you feeling, buddy?” Hunk sat down on Lance’s bed, careful not to sit on his legs. His face showed pure interest in his new friend’s well-being. It was comforting.

“As good as I can be feeling,” Lance chuckled, looking from face to face. Pidge looked astonished, while Keith looked like he was trying to hold back a smile. “Oh c’mon Keith. You can be happy for me.”

Keith frowned, shaking his head. “There he is.”

“Keith,” Shiro glanced at the smaller boy. He then went over and looked at the clipboard by the door. “It seems to be good news.”

“About that,” Lance squinted at the board, trying to read the small print. “What’s going on?”

Pidge, Keith, and Shiro locked eyes, talking silently for a moment before nodding. Shiro walked to Lance’s side. “I’m sure Coran already told you the technical side of things.”

“Yeah,” Lance picked at the hem of his blanket. “But honestly, who understands that?”

Pidge had started to raise their hand.  
“Pidge saved you,” Shiro looked proudly at his small companion. “If they hadn’t woken up when you called...we’re not sure if you’d still be here.”

That’s when it all came back. The heat. The struggle to breathe. The screaming. It had been Pidge. Why did they care so much? Yes, they were his friend. But they had just met two days ago. And, even as Lance hated to admit it to himself, they weren’t super close. 

“Gosh. Little dark, don’t you think?” Lance stared out the window, suddenly finding it hard to meet everyone’s gaze. “Well, I’m glad you all are here.”

“We’re glad you’re alright,” Hunk said, from Lance’s side. His stomach rumbled.

Shiro sat down on a small chair by the door. “Gave us quite the scare, McClain.”

“Yeah, sorry about that,” Lance could look back at his friends if he smiled. “Coran said I had a few days before treatments needed to start. I think he was a little off.”

More memories started to come back to him. Keith and Shiro coming to Pidge’s call. Keith scrambling for the emergency button, despite messing up his oxygen tubes. Shiro holding Pidge. Pidge rushing to his side, tears streaming down their face.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there two nights ago,” Hunk spoke up, clearing his throat while he did so. “I’m a, well, heavy sleeper. And they had me hooked up to monitors. If I had wanted to go, I couldn’t.”

“It’s alright-, wait, did you say two nights ago?” 

“It’s Tuesday,” Pidge looked at their watch. “You’ve been asleep for two days.”

“Well I’ll be,” Lance laughed. “I haven’t slept that long since I had the swine flu back in fifth grade.”

They talked for a few minutes more. About how Hunk’s girlfriend Shay came to visit, and how the night skies have been cloudy since Lance had been out. He took that as a sign.

“We better get going,” Shiro waved for the others to stand and make their way out. “Get better soon, Lance. It’s too quiet without you.”

His smile showed that he was joking, but his dark brown eyes showed something different. He was serious.

Hunk leaned over toward Lance. “You’ll never believe who Shiro’s-.” He didn’t get to finish his sentence before Shiro shushed him, telling him that he could fill him in later. Pidge laughed, nodding to Lance before following them out.

Keith was the last one to leave. He looked back over at Lance, a small smile on his face. “Hey.”

Lance returned his look with surprise. “Need something, Mullet?”

“So, did you let me win all of the cross country meets? Or was I just exceedingly better than you?” 

Lance made a small noise from the back of his throat, a mix of frustration, surprise, and joy. “It’s official. You remember.”

Keith’s laugh was the last thing on Lance’s mind as he fell asleep.

~

“Lance!”

He hadn’t really expected to wake up with a hoard of people hugging him. 

“Hey guys!” Lance smiled, grabbing onto anyone and everyone he could. “Miss me much?”

The response was a collage of multiple replies; his mother was crying, his father smiling, and his brothers and sisters all informing him about all of the different events he had missed.

He imagined the call his family had gotten the night of his accident. How they must have felt. He could almost see them huddling around the home phone, listening to what Coran had to say. It was amazing, the feeling of finally being appreciated. 

Lina and Teddy, Lance’s younger brother, jumped up onto the bed by his feet. Being the youngest, they probably couldn’t see through the crowd of the older members.

“Hey, hermosa chica,” he smiled down at Teddy. “Oh, and chico hermoso. Have you been taking care of the house while I’ve been gone?”

“I have!” Teddy smiled at his brother, an obvious look of worship on his small face. “Everyone has to listen to me.”

“Or not,” a feminine voice spoke up, coming from Elsie, the second oldest. She was Lance’s female counterpart; an exact vision of him. A smirk played on her beautiful face. “Trust me, you’re missed.” 

“More food for me,” another glowing face, one belonging to Lance’s older brother, Alex, smiled and patted Lance on the back. Everyone groaned; Alex had always eaten all of the food, with and without his younger brother. 

One face hadn’t appeared yet, and Lance actually assumed it wouldn’t. “Hm…” he started, a hint of sarcasm added to his voice. “Wherever is Camilla?”

“Oh, really?” there she was. Her long dark hair pulled into two braids, and her skin was much whiter than everyone else’s in the large family. She gave Lance a ‘Wednesday Addams’ vibe, but she was beautiful, just as everyone else was. She shoved her way to the front so she could see her brother. “I’ve been ‘Cam’ since I could talk.”

“You’ve been sour since you could talk, too,” Lance smiled, pulling her in for a hug. His side ached. She was a misfit, anyone could see that. Lance didn’t think she deserved different treatment. “I’m happy to see you all.”

“I got out of class for this,” Elsie smirked, flipping her hair over her shoulder. A glare from her mother warned her of the line she was about to cross. “So, yeah, I’m happy to see you too.”

“When do you get out of here?” Lina sat up on her knees. 

“Probably soon,” Lance raised an arm, pretending to show off his muscles. “You know me, strong and mighty.” Lina and Teddy giggled.

“He learned from the best,” this was the first time Lance’s father had spoken. He was glancing around the small room, nervous to say the least. He smiled at his family, showing no weakness in his emotions. 

“Dad, always the catch,” Lance motioned for his mother and father to him, giving them hugs. He may not say it, but he missed them. He wasn’t sure, but it might have been obvious.

“So,” he cleared his throat, sitting up to avoid awkward angles. “Tell me what’s been going on.”

“Alex went on a date,” Elsie blurted out, covering her mouth and laughing when a glare was thrown in her direction. 

“For the first time in nineteen years, my older brother went on a date? With a girl?” Lance pretended to look shocked, for the sake of the conversation.

“Shut up,” Alex was red. “We just went to the movies. That’s all.”

“That’s all?” Lance whispered, wiggling his eyebrows jokingly. That was it. Alex was a tomato.

“I got my license,” Elsie spoke again. She took after Lance with her communication habits, also. 

“Finally! I thought it was never going to happen.”

“Oh, funny,” the girl picked at her nails. “Says the almost eighteen year old without his own license.” 

“Enough bickering,” their mother butt in, covering her smile. She was used to this playful banter. “Cam, tell Lance about your science project.”

The fourteen year old looked around as if waiting for a space to fit her voice into. “Well, I submitted a project into the science fair at school. About the solar system. And I won the award for best presentation.” She said this nonchalantly, as if it was just something she put together.

“Cam, that’s awesome!” Lance put some extra enthusiasm into his voice. The girl needed it. She responded with a grunt, but everyone got the idea. She was happy.

“Hey Lance, I brought-,” Hunk walked in to the room, an arm full of cookies, when he stopped in his tracks. “Oh, I’m so so sorry. I didn’t mean to-.”

“Hunk, buddy, relax,” Lance waved him into the room. “Meet my family. Familia, this is Hunk. He’s a friend of mine.” 

A chorus of ‘heys’ sounded throughout the room, before Hunk put his arm out. “Cookies?”

He was immediately flooded with hands, all saying their polite ‘thank yous’ and ‘gracias’. Their mother had taught them right. 

“Well, the rest of the group are coming up,” Hunk shuffled to Lance, handing him his cookie. “Do you want me to tell them to come back later?”

“Nah, let them come,” Lance smiled at his siblings. So, no longer than two minutes later, his room was filled to the max with people. More people than had ever shown interest in him. 

Since it was awkward, he decided that introductions were due. 

“Familia, these are my friends. Surprising, I know. So we have Pidge, Shiro, Hunk, and Keith.” 

“Wait,” Elsie poked her head out behind Alex. “Keith, Kogane? From cross country?”

Lance made a mental note to bash his sisters head in later.

“Yeah, Lance,” Keith had his arms crossed. “Cross country?”

“The very one,” Lance decided to play it off. Make it look casual. Rivals, of course. Elsie looked at the two with a sideways glance. Her smirk told it all. “Okay! Anyways.”

During this encounter, Teddy had made his way to Keith’s oxygen pack, Lina following him. He poked it. “What’s this?”

Their mother looked shocked as she scooped the two up and carried them away. “I am so sorry, Keith. They’re incredibly nosy.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Keith let a small smile appear on his face. He knelt down by the tank, and the kids were allowed to walk back over. “It gives me some extra air. See? Through this.” He started to point out things on the pack, smiling warmly at the two. 

Keith was good with his family. Lance felt a blush creep onto his cheeks. He was confused why; rivals were rivals. 

Hunk and Shiro had started to talk to Lance’s parents, probably telling them about what a nuissance Lance had been. No doubt Coran hadn’t informed them completely on what had happened. It would scare any parent to hear those words over the phone. 

Pidge stood alone, a gadget in their hand.

“Any chance that that’s Matt Holt’s sibling?” Alex said softly, looking over at Pidge. “Katie, I think?”

“Katie?” it finally dawned on Lance that Pidge was not actually their real name. “Oh yeah. Well. They go by Pidge. Hey, Pidge, c’mere.”

After introducing the two, conversation exploded about siblings and Yale and everything in between. It was Lance’s turn to be alone, until a body plopped down on either side of him. Elsie and Camille. They didn’t have much in common, but they did have one thing. Their eye for love. They were the greatest pair of matchmakers Lance knew.

“Can I help you?” Lance said softly, not wanting to attract attention. Unusual for him.

“Can we help you?” Elsie did most of the talking in this duo. “What’s with him?”

At least they decided to talk softly.

“Who?” Lance put on the most innocent face he had, batting his long eyelashes at his sisters.

“You know who,” the older of the two continued. “Mr. Cross country?”

“Keith?” he whispered his name. He remembered from middle school. Keith had amazing hearing. “What about him? I practically despise him. You of all people should know this.”

“We’re starting to think that maybe all the complaining wasn’t really complaining,” Camille spoke, matching her sister’s smirk. If Cam was smiling, it was impossible for Lance to destroy it. It lit up the room just like Lance’s.

“Look at you go,” Lance flopped his arms down in false exasperation. “You’re basically a mind reader.”

“Oh, stop the fake sarcasm,” Elsie stuck her finger in Lance’s face. “We see right through it. And we also support your decisions. Just so you know.”

“Darn, because there’s nothing to support,” he wouldn’t give up. “He’s a friend, that’s all.”

Dual eye rolling commenced, and with that, they stood, walking over to check out Keith. This had happened before. They were smart enough to not say anything, but they definitely needed to make sure he was good enough for Lance. He rolled his eyes at them, returning the gesture.

An hour passed by quicker than expected.

It had started to get late, so the large family decided to show themselves out. The goodbyes took at least ten minutes, and his friends had left to make it easier. When they were all gone, Lance sat back against his pillow. That’s when he finally noticed the stick on stars laying on his bed side table. 

~

The days went by quicker than expected. He spent them watching TV, reading gossip magazines, and playing card games with Pidge and Hunk. Keith had been bedridden for a bit, as he had shown signs of breathing troubles. Lance pretended he didn’t miss his company. 

Allura caught him putting his stars on the ceiling.

“Lance!” she rushed in as he placed the last one above him. He stood on his bed, IV stretched as far as it could go. 

“Ah! Allura,” Lance smiled, his dimples crinkling. “I thought I had put up the last star, but alas, there you are.” He earned a sign, and with that, he sat down.

“If you want to go back to recovery, you need to follow the rules,” she went to a machine, reading the report typed onto it. “You should be able to soon.”

“Hoorah!” he flung his head back with a groan. “I’m soooooo bored, Allura.”

Lance felt weight placed on his bed, and he looked down. A blue DS was sitting next to him. 

“I had a feeling you were going to say that,” she smiled a soft smile. “I snuck that out. Don’t let Coran see it.”

Lance declared that Allura was an angel.

~

It was late. Lance probably shouldn’t have been awake. But, he was. DS in hand, he pulled his covers over his head, so the light wouldn’t reflect. This had been the best thing given to him since he had gotten to the ICU. Besides the stars, which glowed overhead.

He was just about to get first in his Mario Kart race when he head the door open. The DS was thrown further under the sheets, and he closed his eyes. Pretend.

“Hey, dork.”

Pidge. Their voice was quiet, as if they were telling him a secret.

“Hey, roomie,” Lance stuck his head up, waving. “Please, step into my office.”

“If you want to go, you have to move quick.”

It took a while to click. It was 11 p.m., after all. “Oh! Yeah!”

Keeping a bag rack quiet was extremely difficult. Luckily, Pidge didn’t have theirs, so they could help. 

“The more you rattle, the higher chance we get caught,” Pidge peeked around a corner. Since Lance was in the ICU, they had to sneak further, as that wing was a bit further away than the recovery wing. “In other words, shut up.”

Finally, they made it to the hallway. The doorway was in sight. Hunk’s head poked out, motioning for them to move quicker.

“You just missed a nurse,” he said, once they made it in. “No clue why she was down here. Spooky.”

They settled in their chairs, all sighing at the same time. Keith was there, as Lance noticed, but he looked extremely tired. His hair was thin, but it was still there. Lance wondered if it would always be that way.

“So,” Shiro looked at the others. “How is everyone?”

A murmur fell across the room. 

“Lance, how are you feeling?”

Lance raised his head. “Just peachy, Shiro. How about you?” He realized this conversation was boring. Nothing he could do now.

“I’m pretty okay, thanks.” Shiro looked out at the night sky, smiling.

“I know that smile,” Lance perked up, inching his way towards Shiro. “Hunk, didn’t you say you had something to tell me about Shiro?”

“Oh yes! I did!” Hunk smiled at the two, placing his hands in the form of a steeple in front of his face. “You know Allura, the nurse?”

“Hunk, please, there’s no need for this,” Shiro’s eyes were wide. Lance could almost hear his non-existent plea.

Hunk cleared his throat. “Yes, yes, everyone listen,” after a moment of suspenseful pause. “Shiro has a date!”

“No way,” Lance and Keith both said, almost falling out of their seats. Pidge put their hands to their cheeks, smirking.

“Guys, it’s not a big deal,” Shiro rolled his eyes. The smile he wore was showing through the dark. 

“It is though,” Lance put a finger in the air. “I’m pretty sure dating your nurse is pretty high on the list of things that are considered a big deal.”

“We aren’t dating.”

“But you will be.”

“Lance, cut him some slack,” Hunk turned his bean bag chair around. “For now.”

He nodded, leaning against the window. The stars were bright tonight; the city lights didn’t seem to smother them. He could tell that it was getting cool out, since the window was chilled from the outside in. Was it the end of September already? “For now.”

Keith scooted his chair up. Pidge followed, and then Hunk, until everyone was huddled by the large window. Pidge’s soothing voice had started to point out constellations.

“Orion. Ursa minor. Taurus. Gemini. Ursa major.”

Lance put his hand down in the space next to him. It touched something warm. The warm feeling turned into tingles.

He had touched Keith’s hand.

Keith slowly pulled his hand up and touched it with his other. He never took his eyes away from the stars.

Maybe he didn’t touch him. Maybe it was the floor. Lance looked for more possibilities.

No. The tossing of his heart told him it was definitely Keith. 

In that moment, Lance realized that Cam and Elsie were completely correct.

~

Hunk had fallen asleep. And he was spot on when he told them all that he was a heavy sleeper.

“God, it’s like he’s dead.”

“Lance, we’re in a hospital. It’s probably best if we don’t say that.”

It took ten minutes to wake the boy up. And even after he was technically awake, he wasn’t. His droggy movements made it hard for him to move quietly.

Lance whispered goodbye to them in the hall before sneaking his way back to his room. Keith wouldn’t meet his eyes. 

The wheels of his bag rack made way too much noise. So, improvising, he picked it up and carried it. By the time he got to his room, his arms felt like jello. Missing swim was really taking a toll.

Plenty of cursing followed as Lance tried to get himself settled. Needles and tubes moved, making it a painful experience. He tried to tell himself it was worth it.

Lance fell asleep staring at the stars on the ceiling.

~

“Alright, young man. I’d say we’re good to move you back.”

Coran showed up in Lance’s room at noon, bringing good news and Allura. He tried not to smirk as she walked in. Shiro picked a good one.

“Sweet,” Lance jumped up and starting picking off the stars. He couldn’t just leave them.

“Do you want to know what else we have to say?” Coran sat on his stool, motioning for Lance to sit back down. “It may be important to you.”

“Well, of course,” he could feel the tension in the room.

“Have you been feeling fatigued? Any sharp pains?”

Lance thought. He didn’t like his answer. “Yes. I guess I have.”

Coran sighed. “Alright. Allura, up his dosages. I don’t want the bacteria to spread anywhere else. If we can keep it in the lungs and the tissues outside, we’ll be set.”

“Outside?” Lance didn’t know if he’d heard correctly. “It’s outside now?”

“Only a little,” Allura brought the clipboard over to show him. On it was an x-ray he took the other day. The white splotch had reached the nearest point of his lungs. “With these meds, it should stay there. That way, it’ll be easier to treat.”

“Alright,” Lance nodded, pretending to be content. He had become good at this. “You said I could move back now?”

“Oh, right. Yes. Let me grab your things.”

Lance noticed the shallow breathing start again while walking down to room 224.

~

He had put his stars back up right as he got to the room. Now, they were glowing in the dark.

“Hey, Lance?” 

This was usual for Pidge. The clock on the wall read 10:16 p.m.. So Lance expected nothing less than a late night conversation. 

“Yeah, squirt?”

They didn’t reprimand Lance for his nickname. As his eyes adjusted, he realized that his roommate had been crying. Their eyes were red and puffy, their button nose runny. “Woah, woah. What’s wrong?” Pidge wasn’t one to show weakness.

Out of respect, Lance turned his body so that he sat parallel to Pidge, his legs criss-crossed the same way as theirs.

“I have something to tell you,” they wiped their nose on their short hospital gown sleeve. “And don’t call me crazy.”

“I would never.” They both knew he would, if the mood wasn’t so dreary.

“I had another brother. Not Matt. His name was Will. We were the closest of siblings; born only a year apart. The twins, they called us. He was strong, and witty, and flirtatious, basically everything I’m not. But he had a heart condition. And one night, when I was twelve, he had a heart attack. Right there, in the bed next to mine,” they stopped to wipe up more tears. “He was exactly like you Lance. Personality wise, kind of by looks too. So when I met you, all I could see was Will.”

The room was silent.

“And I know you probably think I’m crazy, for becoming so attached to you as quick as I did, but God, you’re Will,” they let out a small laugh. “And I miss him.”

Lance was speechless. He didn’t think Pidge was crazy. But he couldn’t say that. Instead, he stood, grabbed his bag rack, and maneuvered it over to the other bed as Pidge had the first day they met. 

He held Pidge until they closed their eyes and slept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!  
> Gosh, I've written a lot this week. Two chapters up by Saturday, I'd call this mission accomplished.  
> So it's midnight right now, so I didn't have time to review this chapter. If there are any grammatical errors, they'll be fixed soon.  
> Oh! And: I took German and French as my foreign language in school. Not Spanish. So I could be saying "umbrellas" for all I know. Please correct my translations!  
> This chapter isn't as langsty. Sorry/you're welcome.   
> Goodnight!  
> xoxo


	4. Chapter 4

Lance woke up with a pain in his side. 

Not that it mattered to him. The only thoughts running through his head were the ones Pidge had put there. Will. Lance wished he could meet him, to hug him, and tell him about how great of a sibling he had. 

He knew he couldn’t do that. 

So, Lance thought. If Pidge can’t have Will, I’ll be their Will.

He sat up, groaning as he did so. He’d woken up with pains before, but not like this.

Lance spotted something in the corner of his eye. Jumping, he realized that it was a person. Two people. Shiro and Keith.

“Hey, woah,” Lance rubbed his sleep-filled eyes. “What’s with the early morning wake up? Can’t a guy get his beauty sleep?”

“It’s 11:30,” Keith furrowed his eyebrows, trying to appear frustrated. Lance just thought he looked cute.

“That late?” he threw off his covers, taking a glance at Pidge. They were lying on their back, head facing the other bed. Their words flooded his brain. “Guess my beauty needed a bit more rest today, huh?”

Keith muttered something no one heard.

“Should we wake Pidge?” Hunk gingerly walked over the bed, looking down at the small figure under the covers. Lance had covered them after they had fallen asleep.

“No,” Shiro started for the door. “Let them rest.”

The four boys walked out of the room. “Lunch, then?”

Lance’s stomach rumbled in response. He laughed, patting his abdomen. “There’s your answer.”

The cafeteria was crowded this time. The lines were long, full of visitors and nurses and even a few patients. Lance longed to see his family. 

He grabbed food from the shortest line, before walking to the table the others had decided to sit at. It was round, and small, so the food took up most of the space. The tan boy sat by Keith, seeing it was the only seat left open. Shiro was smirking down at his fries.

“So,” Lance took a sip of his soda. “What’s going on?”

“Did Pidge tell you?” Shiro cut straight to the chase. “About, you know. Her brother.”

“Yeah,” the table was still. They were waiting for a response. “Oh, well. Yeah. I don’t mind. I’m honored, actually. I wish I could help.”

“You have,” Keith laughed. It brightened the whole room. “They talk about you nonstop.” The nods from the others sealed the statement. 

Lance smiled. “Yeah? You jealous?”

Keith grunted, crossing his arms and looking down at his jeans. Patients in recovery got to wear pants if they chose to, under their hospital gowns. It wasn’t the most flattering thing, but Lance thought that Keith made it work. His oxygen tank sat by his side, the tubes stuck into his nose. Lance wondered if he would ever be able to breathe without it. 

Hunk’s arm flashed down to his small, clip on heart monitor. He looked oddly pale, as if he was going to puke. 

“Hey, Hunk, buddy, is everything okay?” Lance noticed first, gazing at his friend across the table. Shiro and Keith picked up on this, turning their attention to him.

“Y-yeah,” he shook his head, pressing a few buttons on the monitor. It was beeping. 

And then a small red light started to blink.

“Get him upstairs. Now,” this was not a request. Shiro stood up quickly and grabbed Hunk under the arms. His one arm could support half of the bigger teen, but without his left arm, he couldn’t completely pick him up. “Lance, help.”

Lance had been staring in shock. Is this what Pidge felt like? He ran to Hunk’s other side, gripping his arm as tight as he could. He felt weak.

Keith looked helpless, standing with his tank. Any action would get him tangled up in cords. He spotted a wheelchair by the door and walked as quick as he could over to it, silently hoping no one else needed it.

The two carefully lowered Hunk into the wheelchair, Lance deciding it would be best for him to push it. 

The walk to the nearest doctor seemed to take an eternity.

“Doctor?” Shiro yelled, frantically searching through the staff room. The one he found was not Coran, but that didn’t seem to matter now. “Hurry, he doesn’t have time.”

Hunk’s breathing had become pulsed, his eyes closed in pain. He grabbed his chest and sat forward. 

A nurse grabbed the wheelchair away from Lance, pushing it through a set of swinging doors. More beeping. More footsteps.

Lance felt his eyes start to water.

A good person like Hunk didn’t deserve this. He declared Lance his friend. He was nice, and friendly, and happy with his life. 

Was he really?

The chaos subsided. The lobby became empty again, the soft ding of the elevator sounding as Coran ran out, sprinting through the doors that the nurse had taken Hunk through.

Keith sat down on the couch with a sigh. His breathing was almost as labored as Hunk’s. He leaned back against the cushions, patting the spots next to him. He obviously didn’t want to be the only one needing to sit.

Lance plopped down next to him, Shiro taking the other side. 

“Just another day,” Shiro glanced at Keith, silently asking if he was okay. Keith nodded, his eyes closing. “And now we wait.”

Lance scooted closer to Keith.

No one noticed. 

Waiting was going to be the death of him.

~

At the end of the day, the group piled into Pidge and Lance’s room. They sat in a quiet circle, no one wanting to speak. It wasn’t right, without Hunk. 

“Let’s put in a movie,” Pidge stood up and went to a small shoebox sitting by their bed. It was filled to the brim with different movies, quite a few being documentaries. “Is it Friday?”

Friday had happened so fast, none of them realized that it was nearly 8 o’clock. 

“Space documentary it is.”

It was two hours long. About halfway through, there was a dainty yet stern knock on the door. Allura stepped in, not waiting for an answer. 

“Hunk is out of surgery,” she said this with a smile, only glancing at Shiro. She turned her attention back to the rest of them. “The doctors have allowed you all to see him.”

The three of them practically raced out the door, Keith trailing behind. He had taken his oxygen tank off it’s cart, so he had to carry it. Lance looked back, watching Keith pick up the large metal object and cradle it. This was his chance.

“Need a little help, Mullet?” Lance had walked back towards the mess of dark hair.

Keith sighed, his eyes avoiding Lance’s. “I guess I have to admit defeat and accept that offer.” The tone of his voice sounded like he was joking. Lance wasn’t so sure.

He nodded and circled his arms around the tank, shifting under the weight of the metal. “Geez, dude. This is rough.”

“Yeah, well,” Keith started to walk slowly towards the end of the hallway. “It’s a rough life.”

“Don’t get too emo on me,” Lance laughed softly as he followed Keith, closing the space. He wasn’t sure how far the tube extended. 

Hunk had been put into the ICU, the same place Lance had been. That meant that they had to go down the elevator and across the hospital. The walk took longer than expected, and it was filled with Lance complaining, Keith tugging, and Shiro shushing. 

“Remember, he just got out of surgery,” Allura repeated for the hundredth time since they had started the journey. “So he may still be a bit woozy.”

“Where can I get some of that?” the others groaned at Lance. It was basically an invitation. 

Finally, they made it to Hunk’s room. Allura pressed a finger to her lips as she opened the door, peeking in. “Hunk? You have visitors.”

Lance heard rustling from inside the room, followed by a soft “come in”. 

He wasn’t used to seeing people like this.

Hunk was completely hooked up. He had stickers and wires all over his broad chest, all leading to a large version of the monitor he used to carry. Multiple IVs poked his arm, more than Lance had seen since he’d gotten to this place. Throughout all of this, Hunk smiled, motioning for them to come closer. “I won’t bite.”

The group put on their best smiles, happy to see that their friend was okay. 

“Turns out my heart doesn’t like me very much,” Hunk laughed, touching his chest. “I now have metal in there. Who would’ve thought?”

“You’re basically a cyborg,” Lance joked, sitting on the bed as Hunk did with him when he was in his position. “Got any cool lasers to show us?”

“I wish,” he looked at his friends, a shimmer of gratefulness shining in his eyes. 

“What’s this?” Pidge was poking at a large machine in the corner, it’s screen continuously spraying words on the screen, as if it were trying to speak. 

“Honestly, I have no clue,” Hunk shrugged and picked at his blanket. “I’m not sure what any of these things are for.”

“Hm,” before Pidge could mess with the equipment any more than they already had, Allura popped into the room. 

“I’m afraid it’s time to go,” she looked at her watch, just to make a point. Sure, Allura was cool. But Lance had a feeling he didn’t want to see her angry.

With that, they all wished Hunk a good night’s rest, and met the nurse in the hallway.

“I assume you can all make it back on your own?” Allura had a mischievous glint to her expression. She lowered her voice. “It is Friday night, after all.”

She knew.

All eyes turned to Shiro, who was blushing immensely. “Well, yes, yes it is. I’m sure we can make our way back.”

“Perfect!” she flipped her light hair over her shoulder, shoving her hands in her pockets. “Don’t get me in trouble.”

It was silent until she turned the corner, disappearing down the hallway. Pidge whirled around to face Shiro, their eyes wide.

“You told her.”

“Yeah, I mean, it’s okay. She’s chill with it.”

“Unbelievable,” Pidge shook their head, spinning on their heels to walk the other direction. They continued to lecture the older boy as they made their way back to the room. Lance started after them, but something stopped him.

Keith’s oxygen tank.

In one smooth swoop, he picked it up and shifted it to his hip, as if he was carrying a child. Keith was taken aback, almost literally. 

“What are you doing?”

Lance scoffed, gesturing to the tank. “Isn’t it obvious? I could die any day. I want to go to heaven.”

Keith’s face flew through so many emotions at once, Lance couldn’t decipher a single one. “Lance. Don’t say that.”

Fear.

Fear was the last emotion.

“Sorry,” Lance mumbled, walking forward. It felt as if he had Keith on a leash. The image flashed into his head quicker than he wanted it to.

The walk to the room took longer than the walk to the ICU had. Lance had to go to the bathroom, Keith ran out of breath from walking quickly to find said bathroom, and then Lance saw a bottle sitting on a table and he “just had to flip it”.

It was 10:30 by the time they got back to the small room. Pidge and Shiro were both there, sitting on the beds. They eyed the pair suspiciously as they entered.

“It’s been thirty minutes,” Pidge stared at them through their glasses. “We thought maybe you two escaped.”

“Keith couldn’t be able to escape if he tried,” Lance huffed as he set the tank down. His arms felt like jello.

“Oh, that crosses the line,” their heads almost bumped together as Keith poked Lance’s chest with his finger. 

Pidge let out the biggest fake sigh Lance had ever heard. They laid back in their bed, holding a device above their head. “Shiro, tell them.”

“Matt is calling soon, Pidge and I were going to stay and talk to him.”

“Okay…” Keith took his finger off lance, shifting his glance to Shiro.

“We’ll meet you guys down there.”

Lance slowly turned towards Shiro. “Uh, wait. With him?”

Pidge rolled their eyes. “He’s the only other person in here.”

“True,” Lance looked over at Keith. “Alright then. Let's go.” As if by instinct, he grabbed the oxygen tank. Shiro raised an eyebrow.

With one last glance, the two boys started for the stars.

~

“Just put it down here.”

Keith pointed to a spot next to the window. He pulled his chair up to the glass, so he didn’t have to strain his neck to see outside. Lance did the same, collapsing into his chair.

“So.”

“So.”

Lance looked over at Keith. The light from outside was reflecting off his features, making him look whiter. Softer. Handsomer.

“What’s your story?”

Keith shifted so that he was facing Lance. “My story?”

“Yeah, you know. How you got here. Your backstory. Who are you?”

“I’m not sure you want to-,” Keith paused. He wasn’t one to spill out his feelings. Something about the boy in front of him made him want to cry and tell him all of his secrets.

“I do,” Lance interrupted. He put his fist under his chin, appearing to give Keith his full attention. 

“Okay…,” Keith sighed and leaned back, staring out into the universe. “Well, I don’t remember my mom. My dad isn’t the best man. As you can see.” He gestured to his oxygen tubes. 

“That’s all?” Lance smirked, though his face showed concern. 

“I guess,” Keith crossed his arms. “I don’t run anymore. I can’t do anything. I’m not that special.”

“You are,” he said this before he could think. The room was cold. 

“Uh, thanks,” Keith turned away from him, a blush creeping onto his cheeks. He had only known Lance for so long, but he remembered cross country like it was yesterday. Any day with his self-proclaimed ‘rival’ was a good day for him. “So, um, Pidge told me you want to go into astronomy.”

“News travels fast,” Lance grinned. “Of the sort. Since swimming may not work out.”

“Me too. I mean, the astronomy part. Not swimming. I can’t swim.”

The tan boy gasped, a hand over his heart, “No way. You can’t swim, at all?” His tone was mocking, but it had a serious element to it.

“Nope,” Keith picked at his nails. “Never tried.”

“Well,” Lance paused, mainly for effect. “Then I guess I’ll have to teach you.”

Keith laughed, his lips cracking to reveal perfect white teeth. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

“Maybe not,” Lance added his laugh into the mix. “But you never know. Maybe you’re an Olympic level swimmer deep down inside, but you’ll never know unless you try.”

Sarcasm filled the room. It seemed a bit warmer now.

“I’ll settle for space,” Keith’s voice dropped as he stared into the void of stars and planets. 

Lance looked over at his friend, knowing his eyes were geared towards the sky. His hair had gotten a bit thicker since he last saw it, but the deep circles under his eyes showed that the disease was still taking a toll on his small body. 

“Me too.”

It was Keith’s turn to look. Lance looked like an angel in the moonlight, a halo around his brown hair and everything in between. 

“We can both go. Rivals, in space. How’s that?”

Keith smiled again. His cheeks hurt. “Maybe a showdown or two?”

“Definitely a showdown or two. Maybe we’ll meet aliens.”

“Good and bad kinds.”

“Maybe they’re hot.”

“Maybe they’re not.”

Laughter.

“The best thing about going to space,” Lance ran a hand through his unkempt hair, smiling at the stars. At Keith. “Is you don’t have to look up to see the beauty above.”

~  
Saturday went by as slow as it possibly could. Lance had been laying in bed, tossing a foam ball at the wall, when the door opened. Pidge looked up from their computer, slowly closing it.

Cam and Elsie tiptoed in, shutting the door behind them. They stopped when they saw Lance. “Oh good! You’re awake.” Elsie grinned.

“It’s 3 p.m.,” Lance deadpanned, shooting an apologetic glance at his roommate. 

“Well, I just didn’t..yeah so anyways,” Elsie made her way into the room, all eyes on her. “Where is he?”

“Where is who?”

“You know, the boy,” the sister wiggled her eyebrows. Pidge choked on the soda they were drinking, eyes wide. “Oh, sorry. Is this a secret?”

Lance narrowed his eyes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Cam finally made a move, pushing her older sister aside. “Lance, I think what Elsie is trying to say is, we want details.”

“Yes, we would looooove details,” it was Pidge that spoke, a sly grin on their face.

“See?” Elsie popped back up. “We aren’t the only ones. Now, go on.”

Lance made a noise from the back of his throat. “Honestly, there’s nothing to talk about. Is that really the only reason why you’re here? What about my well being? Huh?”

“I mean, yes, that matters. But what also matters is the fact that I ship this so hard.”

“You ship it, seriously?”

Cam sat on the bed, twisting her dark ringlets around her pale finger. No braids today. “I care for you, dear brother.” If you could see her voice, it would be sparkling. She was trying to be the better sibling. 

“Why, Camilla, you’re always such a doll,” Lance smirked as she stood. 

“Cam, Lance. Cam.”

“I like Camilla better,” Pidge spoke up from their bed, the computer back up and running. They didn’t even look up to acknowledge the situation, but their intent pulled through. “It suits you.”

Lance had never seen his sister blush before. Now he had.

“Anyways,” Elsie giggled, placing a perfectly tan hand over Lance’s. “We can only be here for so long, so if you’re going to give us the inside scoop, I’d hurry.”

Sighing, Lance gave in. “Pidge decided it would be a brilliant idea to, uh, leave us in the same room. We just talked. It was casual.”

Elsie smiled. “I had a feeling.”

“A feeling? I’d hardly call it that,” Cam retorted, her face back to it’s pale complexion. She looked around the room, dark eyes wandering.

“It was totally a feeling. And I was right,” the sister grinned wider as she sighed. “Promise to text me if anything else happens, okay?”

“Or, how about this? I can just promise you now that nothing is going to happen.” Lance let out one of his grins. 

“You don’t want to do that. Trust me.”

~

“Done!” Pidge yelled, making Lance jump from his seat. They were poking under the TV, sticking in wires and boxes and other things Lance didn’t really understand.

“Pretty sure we’re all done,” Lance laughed, regaining his composure. 

“Not like that,” Pidge rolled their eyes, but they were smiling. “We have to get the others.”

Lance looked at the clock. “Slow your roll, tiny. It’s almost time for lights out.”

“Maybe. But this is important.”

And that was how Lance found himself trudging down the hallway to Keith and Shiro’s room. Hunk was still in the ICU, and they figured that he probably shouldn’t be out and about, after what happened. 

Lance stumbled into the room, a look of confusion still playing on his face. “Hey, pals. Long time no see.”

“Lance? You okay?” Shiro looked over his shoulder at Pidge, their eyes wide with excitement. 

“You should ask Pidge that,” Lance laughed, all eyes on the little figure behind him. 

“I finished it,” was all they had to say. Keith and Shiro bounced up, smiling across the board. “We can get a few games in before lights out.”

Lance trailed the group, shaking his head. “Am I the only one that’s genuinely confused?”

Back in the room, Pidge ran to what looked like a console sitting under the TV. They pressed a few buttons before turning and facing the rest of them. “May I present to you, the one and only, Mercury Gameflux II.”

Shiro cheered softly and Keith smiled, obviously happy to see his friend so happy. Pidge was shining with pride. 

“Yeah, excuse me, but what is that exactly?” Lance raised an eyebrow, staring at the TV.

“Only the coolest gaming console in the whole universe!” Pidge squealed, touching the system lightly. “It came out last year, but it had some difficulties, so they were all send back. The company went out of business afterwards and never had the chance to release it again. I had one still, so I’ve been working on fixing it myself.”

“Do you have the game?” Shiro walked to Pidge’s shoebox, ruffling through it. “Ah, here it is.”

“Killbot Phantasm I,” Pidge smiled as they walked to another drawer, pulling out a padded glove. “Along with the original power glove that gives you infinite lives if you touch the index finger to the pinky.”

“Sounds...complicated?” Lance sat down on his bed, yawning as he did it.

“Not at all,” Pidge grabbed four gaming controllers from another shoebox and passed them out. “You guys ready to be defeated?”

Lance soon found out that Pidge was, in fact, not joking. Their gaming skills were intense, and even after years of playing play station games with Alex, he couldn’t catch up.

This went on for two hours, Pidge continuously beating them all. 

“C’mon Kogane, help me out a bit!” Lance grew frustrated as he pushed his trigger button, trying to jump around the enemy. 

“Working on it,” Keith swiveled around, placing his character in front of the blasters. 

Explosion. They had lost to Pidge again.

“Hah!” Pidge leaned back in triumph, clapping their hands. “Another win.”

Shiro put a mark on the dry erase board under Pidge’s name. “I think that’s it, guys.” groans erupted from the three teens, making Shiro laugh. “I’m pretty sure this isn’t going anywhere.”

Lance yawned again, as it had become frequent. “I gotta say, I’m real close to passing out.” He disappeared into the bathroom to brush his teeth. When he reappeared, Keith and Shiro were walking out. “Need help, Mullet?”

Keith turned and looked Lance straight in the eyes, keeping a straight face. “I’m starting to think this is an excuse for you to hang out with me.” 

Lance saw him smiling as he walked out.

“You can be honest with me.”

Pidge was slipping into the bathroom, grabbing their toothbrush on the way. They left the door open, as if they were waiting for Lance’s response at that very moment.

“What would I have to hide from my favorite Pidge?” Lance crossed his arms and leaned against the doorway, testing his friend.

“I’m going to ignore the fact that I am the only Pidge you know,” they started to brush, mouth filling with toothpaste. “Wat waz up wif your sifters?”

“Can’t understand you,” he smirked and pointed at his mouth.

Pidge spit the paste out, turning to Lance. “What was up with your sisters? Details?”

“I already said,” Lance sighed. “We just talked.”

“Is that really it?”

Lance considered this. He really hadn’t known Keith for long. Cross country was long ago. His feelings were messed up. 

“Yes. That’s it.”

Pidge nodded, not letting the look of disappointment cross their face. “Fair enough.”

“You made my sister blush.”

“What?” Pidge rinsed off her brush, placing it rather forcefully on the shelf. 

“Cam,” it was Lance’s turn to interrogate. You never know. 

“Personally, I think Camille fits her better. That’s all I said,” they shrugged and pushed past Lance, walking to their bed. “Now let me sleep in peace.”

Lance fell asleep smiling.

~

Floating. Fast, past the stars, through the milky way, by Saturn. Keith was there, smiling, lighting up the dark of the vast universe. It was peaceful. Calming. Just exactly what Lance needed. It was a moment of solace, happiness, and Lance felt as if he had nothing weighing him down. Keith floated over, his oxygen tank gone. No metal, no tubes. Just Keith. Him and his beauty. Lance closed his eyes, the gap between the two closing.

He jolted awake, eyes wide. Turning his head, he saw Pidge asleep in the bed next to his. 

It was a dream.

Lance wished from the moment he woke up that it wasn’t.

Sighing, he laid back on his pillow. Just a dream. Nothing more, nothing less. Why had it seemed so real?

Lance closed his eyes, deciding that sleep was exactly what he needed. His brain was messing with him again. That’s all it was.

Oh no.

The deep blue eyes shot open. The stick on stars stared down at him, making the room seem less lonely.

His sisters had been right once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone,  
> So whew, I wanted to get this chapter up, because I'm going camping next week and I may not be able to write. At all. Yikes, I know.  
> HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNK  
> This chapter is another filler, I'm so sorry about that. Tried to put some fluff in there, just for fun. It's about to get really interesting, I promise. I have some really intense writers block at the moment, so please bear with me.  
> Also: I may start writing another fic, a more fluff/not so sad one, since writing this is going to be an emotional roller coaster for me. Just a heads up.  
> Follow me on tumblr and/or instagram, @bondingwithvoltron , for updates and more fun stuff XD. Enjoy!  
> make sure to comment and let me know how you like it!   
> xoxo  
> P.S. I totally forgot about this, I made a reference to the space mall episode with the mercury gameflux II Pidge had! I just thought it would be funny to put that in there.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: if you’re uncomfortable with needles and such, i go over how they insert Lance’s IV. Just a heads up.

Keith was having a nightmare.

He was in a forest. Alone, and it was dark. The wind rustled the treetops, giving the place an eerie feel. Leaves crushed behind him, and he whirled around, now face to face with a sickly Lance. His eyes were sad, dark circles washing out the tan tint of his skin. He was thin, as if he hadn’t eaten for days. 

“Lance?” Keith reached out to touch the boy. Lance started to raise his arm to grab Keith’s hand when he lurched back, shadows enveloping his skinny frame. He screamed, attempting to claw his way to Keith. He was no match for the shadows.

 

~

Keith sat up, sweat starting to bead on his hairline. His heart was racing. It wasn’t real. Lance was there. Lance was okay.

He started his breathing exercises his therapist had instructed. In through the nose, using the extra oxygen. Out through the mouth, releasing his small breath. 

“Keith?” 

Shiro had woken up, rubbing his eyes sleepily. He stared at Keith, as if he was scanning for any sign of emergency. 

“Hey, sorry for waking you,” Keith shook his head, slowly lowering himself down onto his pillow. 

“It’s okay. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Just had a nightmare.”

“Would you like to tell me about it?” Shiro was wide awake now. Concern was starting to show on his face. 

“No. It’s okay,” Keith wasn’t one to admit defeat. As much as he wanted to confide in the older boy, he didn’t want to bother him with something as demeaning as a dream.

Shiro nodded and laid back down, staring up at the blank ceiling. “Please tell me about it.” 

Keith sighed and flipped over, raising his arm so the IV wouldn’t get caught in his mess of blankets. Cancer made him cold. “I was in a forest. Lance was there, and he looked terrible. I mean, Lance can’t possibly look terrible, right? I think he’s incapable of that. Anyways, we were there, and I tried to reach out for him, but he got taken away. That’s really it.”

“Hm,” Shiro looked over, catching Keith’s gaze. “Can’t look terrible, huh?” 

A blush crept onto Keith’s pale face. “Shut up. I didn’t say that.”

“But you did.”

“I think you’re dreaming.”

“What took him?” Shiro changed the subject. He was smiling before he said this. Now, the worried expression was back.

Keith closed his eyes. “Shadows. A hoard of them.”

Shiro hummed. “He’ll be okay. Don’t worry about him. He’s stronger than he looks.”

And with that, Shiro was back asleep, snoring and muttering nonsense. Keith rolled his eyes and reached around for his headphones sitting on his bedside table. He plugged them into his phone and shuffled his playlist, blasting Radiohead into his ears. 

Lance was the last thing on his mind before he drifted off into a deep sleep.

~

Today was test day. 

All of the residents in recovery got check ups on the same day; not that many people were in that part of the hospital, and it was easier to collect data in one big swoop.

Lance was nervous. Maybe more. Last check up, Allura had said something about the bacteria spreading. 

Pidge noticed his jitters, placing a steady hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry. Everything is going to work out.”

As Lance was about to comment on how gracious and kind Pidge was being, they shoved his arm and laughed. “Baby.”

“Hey,” Lance folded his arms. “I have a reason to be nervous.”

“So do I.”

Lance’s appointment was at 2:45. It was now just turning 11. He cursed the clock, praying for it to speed up.

“And if you’re nervous, why do you want the time to speed up? Don’t you want it to stop?” Pidge picked at their nails, peeling off the remaining green paint. It seemed like a weird color for nail polish, but Pidge pulled it off well.

“No,” Lance rolled his eyes. “I want to get it over with. Let’s go do something.”

“Sorry,” Pidge kicked their legs up, nodding at the clock. “My appointment is in fifteen minutes. I must face the beast. Go find Keith.”

“Why would I... okay,” Lance glanced suspiciously at his roommate before exiting the room. “Kay.Good luck.”

He ran into Shiro and Keith in the hallway. Somehow, Pidge seemed to know where their friends were at every second of the day. Some may call it a psychic. 

“Fancy seeing you here,” Lance grinned, stopping in the middle of their path. 

“Is it?” Keith rolled his eyes, failing to hide his kiddish smile. 

Shiro laughed and patted both boys on the back. It was then that Lance realized; Shiro was wearing his prosthetic. It was white, and it seemed to fit him perfectly. 

“I’m assuming your appointment went well,” Lance smiled proudly at his friend. 

“Very,” Shiro lengthened the arm, showing off all of it’s features. “I probably won’t wear it all the time, but for now, I’ll give it a shot.”

Keith wore the same expression as Lance, but his eyes were wary, as if he had something weighing down his mood. His blue/gray eyes veered on the edge of purple, his dark eyelashes long and fluttering. Lance’s curiosity bubbled.

“Have you had yours, Kogane?”

“Not yet,” Keith shook his head. So maybe that wasn’t the issue. “I’m at the end of the day.”

Shiro gave Lance an apologetic smile, touching Keith’s shoulder as he did so. “I got the news today that I might be released soon.”

Oh.

“Keith, buddy, you’ll still have us,” Lance smiled his brightest smile, showing his perfectly aligned teeth. “And I’m sure Shiro will visit. I’m not sure he can stay away from Allura for longer than ten minutes.”

“Ooooookay,” the older boy stepped in, shooting a warning look at Lance. “Enough of that. How’s Pidge?”

Lance laughed. “Pidge is Pidge. The usual. Sassy and fearless.” He thought back at Pidge when he had left the room earlier. No sign of fear on their face. No sign of distress. Just a relaxed sigh and a “get out”. 

“Fair enough,” his comment earned a laugh from Shiro. And maybe a smile from Keith. Lance noticed these things, for he cherished them. “Let’s go do something.” He repeated his order from earlier, hoping the outcome would be a bit more in his favor. 

“I know a place,” Keith turned and pointed out a nearby window. Lance could see the surface of a small pond.

“A great place for a murder, don’t you think?” Lance teased, nudging the solemn boy beside him. Keith cracked a smile, letting a bit of light in.

The air was cool, as fall had just settled in. The leaves were just starting to turn, the wind picking up the stray ones that had fallen on the ground. It was calming, to say the least. Lance considered himself a hot weather person, but he had to admit. This was nice.

The pond was in the middle of a small meadow of now wilted flowers. No one seemed to mind. It was beautiful all the same.

“So this is it,” Lance sat down on the grass, suddenly out of breath. 

“Yep,” Keith sat beside him, holding on to his oxygen tank. It had wheels today. “Not much to look at, but it’s prettier in spring.”

“I guess you’ll have to show me,” the words were out of Lance’s mouth before he could think. A red blush crept onto his cheeks.

Keith’s face was just as red, so he turned away. Shiro sat down on Lance’s other side, smiling at the two. “Glad you guys are finally getting along.” There was only a hint of sarcasm.

“Me? Get along with him? Shiro, please,” Lance teased, his blush starting to fade. 

Keith rolled his eyes and started to lie back, placing his hands under his head. He stared at the sky, as if he were having a conversation with the unknown. “You wish.”

The time passed quicker than expected. Lance wished that the universe would just stop, for a few minutes, so he could enjoy the moments of peace. 2 o’clock had seemed years away. Now, it was down to minutes. 

The steady puff of Keith’s oxygen tank had started to put the three boys to sleep. Shiro messed with his arm, clenching the fist and moving the fingers. He looked like a child with a new toy. Keith had his eyes closed, as if he was attempting to sleep. His pale skin was dotted with freckles. Lance only then realized how close they were. 

The sun was bright in the sky. It reminded Lance of his days out with Lina. How he’d have to sing to keep her asleep. The thoughts washed over him like a tsunami. 

“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.”

As it turned out, Lance’s voice was beautiful. He had started to sing, which was the slightest bit embarrassing. Nevertheless, he continued. 

“You make me happy, when skies are gray.”

Keith and Shiro both turned to look at the singing boy, only a bit surprised. His voice was what made Keith catch his breath. 

“You never know dear, how much I love you.”

His hands started to shake. The idea of leaving his family was terrifying. His whole world revolved around him. And now? He missed them more than ever.

“So please don’t take my sunshine away.”

A tear fell off his cheek and landed on the grass beside him. Lance wiped his eyes, his body still shaking.

Shiro sat up, pulling Lance up with him. His prosthetic arm rubbed his back soothingly, as if his touch could heal any wound. Lance came to the conclusion that it definitely could. 

“Sorry, sorry,” Lance laughed, wiping the last of his tears away. The shaking had stopped. “I just miss them.”

“They’ll be back,” Keith spoke quietly. He picked at a long piece of grass. “If they’re anything like you, they’ll be back.” 

“Hey,” Lance laughed again, pushing his friend’s shoulder. “This is my family we’re talking about.” It made him feel good to laugh. 

Shiro stood up, a silent reminder that Lance still had to go to the appointment. He sighed, following Shiro’s actions and standing. He reached a hand down to help Keith.

“I may have cancer, but I’m not weak,” Keith took Lance’s hand anyways, letting the taller boy pull him up. A gust of wind blew through the meadow, making hair fly and goosebumps rise. Lance laughed, yet again.

He was happy.

And nothing in this world could change that. 

~

2:20. 2:25. 2:30. 

Lance was about to smash the clock.

He hadn’t been to one of these appointments, just the little mandatory ones he had here and there. For some reason, this one was causing quite a commotion for him.

“Pidge?” Lance was laying in his bed, upside down, awaiting Coran’s arrival. 

“Lance?” Pidge had their computer out, typing what looked like an essay. Lance groaned at the thought of school. He had barely done any of his work, along with the fact that he completely abused his summer reading. 

“When does Hunk get out of the ICU?” 

Pidge paused their typing to tap their fingers rhythmically on the bed. “Ummm, tomorrow maybe?”

“Good. I need a space hangout, pronto,” He lifted his arms over his head, fingers brushing the floor. “This stress may be the death of me.”

“Dude,” Pidge grabbed their bad rack and hauled it over to Lance’s bed, plopping themselves down on the mattress. “Don’t stress. It’s all okay. You wouldn’t be in recovery if it wasn’t.”

Lance nodded. Pidge would know, they had been here much longer than he had. 

“Alright. Okay. I’m ready.”

“That’s good,” Coran had stepped in moments before, squeezing some germ-x onto his hands. “We’re ready when you are. Pidge, if you’d excuse us?” Allura slipped in through the doorway with a few machines and needles. Lance cursed.

Pidge stood slowly and walked towards the door, rolling their rack. They pat Lance on the shoulder, speaking encouragement through their touch. 

“We’re going to go take a few x-rays first,” Coran nodded towards the door. “To assess where the bacteria moved to. Then we can come back and do the check-up.”

The x-ray was big, and reminded Lance of a workout machine. It was mounted on the wall, and it looked like a huge white box. He stood with his chest to a square digital plate, and a camera connected to a bar took the picture. It was different from the one he used when he first got admitted, and he felt a bit less violated than before.

“Alright,” when they got back tot the room, Allura grabbed a rolly stool for herself and for Coran before looking down at her clipboard. “Let’s see here...hook up.”

“Woah babe, slow down,” Lance smirked, leaning back onto his pillow as Coran softly pushed him back. Allura sighed, grabbing an IV bag and a drip. After disinfecting the site, she warned him of the pinch as Coran inserted it into the inside of his elbow, drawing it out and pushing a plastic tube in. Lance could watch without almost puking this time. 

“We’re in,” Coran announced, discarding the needle. He grabbed his stethoscope. “Breathe in please. Slowly.”

Lance closed his eyes, the pressure from the tool oddly calming. Coran frowned and spewed off a few numbers to Allura, who quickly wrote them down. His curiosity got the best of him. “Are we good?”

“Possibly. This may not mean anything,” Coran placed the stethoscope around his neck and moved on to the next item on his list. It seemed to go on forever. Finally, he stood. “I’m going to go look over the x-rays. Stay put.”

“Yessir,” Lance saluted lazily, turning his gaze to Allura. “So?”

Allura tried to hide her sad expression with a small, gorgeous smile. “So. I have to go talk to a patient. I’ll be back in a bit.”

He whined as she left, thinking of who the patient could be. He knew from the minute she said it that the said patient was Shiro.

Pidge was hunched outside the room, ear to the door. Allura walked out, knocking the small figure over as the heavy door opened. “Oh! Pidge! What did I say about snooping?”

“What can I say?” Pidge shrugged and attempted to regain their balance. “How is he?”

All Allura had to do was shake her head.

Coran took thirty minutes to “look over” the x-rays. Lance had become extremely bored during that time, finding anything and everything to mess with. When the lovable doctor came back, his eyes were staring at the ground. He was upset, anyone could tell that. Lance sucked in a breath, curling up in his bed. It felt too small.

“Coran?”

“Lance, I’m-,” Coran sat down beside the shaking patient. “I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t leave it at that,” Lance looked into the doctor’s eyes, reaching, grabbing, at any sign or explanation for his apology. 

“The x-rays were completely white. The bacteria have spread almost everywhere in your upper respiratory system, and have gotten ahold of your heart. Your body had been rejecting the antibiotics. I’m sorry.”

Silence filled the room. No. This couldn’t happen.

Lance felt a tear drip down his face and onto his leg. “Does this mean...?”

“Yes,” Coran had a tear in his eye now, his face crumpled. “We can continue treatment, try different medications, but...I’m afraid there’s nothing we can do.”

Eighty people die from pneumonia every day. Even if they get the proper treatment. Lance had read this online. 

Never had he thought that he would be one in eighty. 

“How..,” Lance choked on his tears. “How much time do I-do I have left?”

Coran stood up, the tension in the air obviously becoming too much for him to bear. “At least two and a half months, we believe.” He turned to walk out. “Again, Lance. I’m sorry.”

He couldn’t find the energy to reply. 

Miracles happen. They would continue treatment. He would get better.

Of all the things running through Lance’s head, these were buried deep behind everything else that surfaced.

Outside, Pidge sobbed. Warm tears ran down their cheeks as they hugged their legs. Coran emerged from inside, and Pidge stood abruptly, stepping in front of the now crying man.

“How could you?”

Coran looked down, wiping his eyes with a tissue he grabbed from his pocket. “Pidge, I-.”

“I’m sorry, but right now, I’m upset,” Pidge was yelling now, their hands flailing. The plastic tube hanging from their arm wriggled, as if fighting to be released. “How could you not know his condition? Are you a doctor? This is bullshit!”

“Pidge-.”

The yelling got louder as Pidge started to gain momentum. “I can’t believe this. I’m going to lose him! Because of this stupid hospital. This stupid infection. Because of you so called ‘doctors’. I love him, please, you can’t take him-.”

Shiro had appeared at the first sign of Pidge’s fit, now taking the opportunity to place his hand over their mouth to muffle their insults. He shot an apologetic look at Coran, and the doctor took this time to leave the area. Shiro tugged the small form towards his chest to envelop them in a hug. Keith approached, unaware of the situation at hand.

“They can’t have him,” Pidge mumbled, the tears never ceasing. “Not Will, not Lance. They can’t. I need him.”

Keith’s eyes widened as he realized what Pidge meant. 

Shiro gasped, eyes flicking to the room.

“He’s dying.”

“Pidge!” Keith slapped Pidge’s arm, surely not enough to hurt them, but enough to get his point across. “Don’t you dare say that.”

“I heard them,” Pidge sniffled, pulling Shiro’s arm closer to their body. “I heard everything.”

Keith sunk to the floor, accidentally sitting on his oxygen tubes and pulling them off the top of his ears. The nasal cannula fell out of his nose, leaving him without his extra oxygen. Little did he care. Shiro noticed, and he quickly placed Pidge on the floor before squatting down and re-inserting the nubs into Keith’s nostrils. He pulled them both to his chest, holding back his tears. Keith had joined Pidge in their crying. Shiro had to be the strong one.

He soon decided that he would be strong later. 

~

Lance looked like a mess.

His eyes were red and puffy from crying, his face wet from the tears. He wondered if Coran had contacted his family already. Part of him hoped he hadn’t.

The door slowly opened, muffled arguing and sniffling coming from the other side.

“Come on in,” Lance wiped his eyes. “I don’t bite.”

Pidge entered first, Keith and Shiro following close behind them. They took on the same look as Lance, faces distraught and eyes watery. It made Lance’s throat close at the sight of them.

“Hey,” Pidge hopped onto the bed, more careful than usual. “How...how are you?”

Lance pulled his friend close to him, resting his chin on their head. “Well, as good as I can be. Feeling better with you all here.”

“Don’t get sappy with us, McClain,” Keith smiled, hoping to lighten the mood. Lance sat up and beckoned for him to get closer. His fingers touched Keith’s skin, and he took the opportunity to grab his arm. 

Keith expected a casual group hug. Pidge, on the other hand, decided to move away from Lance’s embrace, leaving the two boys to hug alone. He could almost feel his face begin to burn.

Lance never wanted to let go.

When he finally did, Keith turned away quickly, attempting to hide his red face. Lance grinned and turned to Shiro, arms wide. “Can’t forget about you, can I?”

Shiro laughed and relaxed into his embrace. Turns out, Lance was a great hugger.

“How’s Hunk?” Lance raised his arms over his head in an attempt to stretch. His IV line reminded him of his current restrictions.

“Good,” Pidge sighed and sat back on the bed, tapping Lance’s leg. “He gets out of the ICU tomorrow. Exciting shit.”

Shiro grunted, receiving an apology in return. It seemed that he was always the one reminding Pidge that they were only 15, and that their foul language wasn’t always necessary. 

“I’m glad,” Lance smiled, the idea of seeing Hunk making him happy. “The whole squad will be together at last.”

He would call the silence awkward, but it really wasn’t. The mere presence of his friends made up for the lack of conversation.

“Oh!” Lance popped up out of his spot, grabbing for a black spiral notebook on his bedside table. He flipped through the first few pages before settling on one filled with black sharpie. “So, I guess you could say I made a bucket list. It was kind of an impulse thing, ya’know? A coping mechanism. Anyways, I was hoping we could check some of these boxes off. Together.”

“Depends on what you have,” Shiro made his way to the bed. “And if we’re even allowed to leave.”

“They can’t keep me locked up,” Lance scanned through the paper. “Even though I am extremely desirable.”

The list was fairly long, consisting of activities from ‘build a fort’ to ‘go to an aquarium’. Most of the items seemed attainable, except for the very last check box. This one read, ‘take a trip to Mexico’.

“Mexico?” Keith peered over Lance’s shoulder, eyeing the paper with curiosity. 

“Indeed,” Lance smiled proudly, thinking back on that night with Lina. There were many things Lance couldn’t do. But he would never break a promise, especially one he made to someone he loved so dearly. “I promised Lina I’d take her when I, well, got out of here. Since that might not be happening, I wanted to see if I could go using the ‘sick kid’ card. Or something like that.”

Pidge nodded. “Well, there is one program...kind of like ‘Make a Wish’.”

“Sounds great,” Lance looked from person to person, trying to make out their reactions to his outlandish idea. “But, I don’t think I’d want to go without you guys.”

“Us?” All three heads turned, eyes wide at the statement. 

“Yeah,” Lance stared at his feet. “If, you know, you guys want.”

Pidge answered by throwing their arms around Lance, brown eyes watery with excitement. They looked back at the other two. “I’ll use my pass for this.”

The vote was unanimous. A group trip was what they all needed. 

“I’ll talk to Coran,” Shiro smiled, patting Keith on the shoulder as he walked out of the room. Pidge ran after, squealing and talking as fast as possible about all they were going to do together. 

This left Keith and Lance. 

“Hey,” Lance broke the silence, scooting to the side of the mattress and patting an empty spot next to him. Keith took up the offer with a smile. 

“Hi.”

“How about that weather?”

Keith snorted. “That’s the best you can do?”

“C’mon Kogane, cut me some slack,” Lance fixed the gauze on his arm that had started to peel off. “Being holed up in this place has caused me to get bit rusty.”

“Right,” Keith looked down at his hands, realizing that he had be wringing them. Something he often did when he was nervous. “That’s what it is.”

Lance made it a goal to have a casual conversation with the boy in front of him. 

“So!” he shoved the notebook into Keith’s hands. “What do you want to do?”

“Me?” Keith gave Lance a sideways glance before looking down at the checkboxes. After a few seconds of reading through the options, he turned the notebook towards Lance and pointed at one in the middle. “Ride a ferris wheel.”

Lance laughed. “Yeah? I like it. Have you ever ridden one before?”

“I wouldn’t choose it if I had,” Keith stated, shrugging. “Sounds fun.”

“It does, doesn’t it?” he hummed, trying not to stare at Keith. “Well then, it’s settled. We’ll go.”

“You’re serious about this, huh?” Keith twirled his oxygen tube around his index finger. 

The tan boy smirked. “I will have you know that I am quite the adventurer. I like the new and outlandish.”

Keith nodded, holding back a grin. “Of course you do.”

“Can I say the same for you?” 

The air in the room was still, the only noises being the beep of the machines and the ticking of the wall clock. Keith’s breathing had slowed, the question having a strange heaviness to it. Multiple thoughts were running through his mind, yet he finally got out his answer. “I guess so.”

“Good to know,” Lance went out on a limb and winked, causing Keith to jump, like a puppet on a string. He stood, forcing a smile throughout his fit of blushing. 

“I guess I should get going,” Keith grabbed the handle of his tank. 

“I guess.”

He took this as his cue to exit, forcing deep breaths through the cannula. An inhaler might have to make it’s debut. 

Back in the room, Lance grinned to himself. He grabbed a pen from the table and flipped the paper over, making another box. Next to it, he wrote three words.

Fall in love.

Not even thirty seconds passed before he smiled and happily checked off the box.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well hi!  
> Sorry for the wait, I've been camping for the past week and it's been suuuuper hectic. Anywho, this chapter makes up for it because there is just SO MUCH ANGST.  
> Not going to lie, I cried a little writing this chapter.  
> I hope you all enjoy! Make sure you let me know how you like it!  
> OH! So, @oddly_creative_ drew some amazing fanart for this fic! I was so happy when they showed it to me, it warms my heart to know that people like it! Check it out here : https://www.instagram.com/p/BWx51-mFLEs/?taken-by=oddly_creative_&hl=en  
> If anyone else decides to make some awesome art inspired by this fic, let me know, and I'll feature it on here!  
> Thanks everyone for the support!  
> xoxo


	6. Chapter 6

“Activity number one,” Lance spread the sheet out on his bed in front of him, the others sitting around it. “Roller skating.”

“You’ve never been roller skating?” Pidge leaned closer so they could squint at the paper. 

“Nope.”

“Wow,” Hunk smiled, obviously excited. It was his second day out of the ICU, and he couldn’t be happier. “I love skating.”

Lance leaned back and pushed the paper towards the others. “Well, we’re going to go. Today.” He grinned and stuck his hand out towards the call button. 

Pidge’s eyes went wide. Shiro smirked and looked over at Keith. Keith’s face was expressionless. “Today?” Hunk squeaked. 

“That’s the plan,” Lance clicked the button. A small ‘ding’ rang out across the hall. An abrupt skid of a shoe on the tile sounded, followed by running footsteps. Coran ran into the room, eyes scanning the room. Allura peeked in, her hair flying. 

“What’s wrong?” Coran sounded concerned, but he had settled down. Confusion flooded his face. 

“Oh,” Lance smiled and crossed his legs. “Well, we were wondering, and hear me out, if we could go out? To the roller skating rink? It’s literally ten minutes away.”

“That’s what you rang for?!” Coran leaned against the door frame. “Lance, that is for emergencies only.”

Lance smiled apologetically. “Oops?” It almost sounded sincere. 

Coran regained composure and smiled, remembering the situation he had on his hands. “Ah, it’s alright. Just...don’t do it again, got it?”

He received a salute in return. “A roller skating rink, huh? What is all this about?” he scanned the room, eyes finally landing on the sheet of paper in front of the eager patients. They all looked up simultaneously, puppy-dog eyes shining up at the doctor. He couldn’t say no. “I suppose we can arrange something.”

“Yay!” All five laughed and jumped up from their spots around the bed. They made their way towards the door. 

“We’re going to do get ready,” Shiro called over his shoulder. “Meet back here in ten, gang?” Even he was bursting with joy. They got to do something normal. Together. 

Before Coran could interject, they were gone. 

“Well,” Lance got up from his position on his bed and went slowly over to the wooden dresser. Pidge followed suit. “I can change in the bathroom, if you want.”

“Fine by me,” Pidge grabbed a sweater like shirt from the drawer and pressed it against their chest. “Just don’t come out too early.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t.”

Coran sat at his desk and tapped his chin. Letting the patients out? Isn’t that risky? He looked through the file cabinet, racking his brain on how he could make this work. Allura could go with them. They would have two hours to do what they wanted, then they’d go straight back to the hospital. He’d have to call their parents. The ones that had them, at least. The others were in his care. 

He stood and walked towards Lance and Pidges’s room. He had his spiel ready. “Alright, so-” Coran was cut off by a pair of skinny arms wrapped around his torso. 

“THANK YOU CORAN,” Lance hugged him tighter, his IV’s snagging on the doctor’s scrubs. He winced; they had just been placed last night. 

“I didn’t even get to say anything,” Coran wheezed, quickly losing his breath. 

“Lance, release,” Pidge mumbled as they trudged out of the bathroom, clothed in a big green sweatshirt and jeans. Their converse scuffed the tile. “It feels so weird to wear this shit.”

Coran sighed. “I guess I don’t have a choice, huh?”

“I guess not,” Shiro had stepped into the room, wearing a tee shirt and jeans. Keith trailed behind him, dressed in his black shirt and black jeans. Lance laughed. 

“An emo never rests,” he smirked and made his way over to the scowling boy, resting his elbow up on the other’s shoulder. Keith didn’t shrug him off. 

Hunk rushed in, hand over his heart. “Oh, okay, good. Did I miss anything?”

“Nope,” Lance smiled at Coran hopefully. “We’re good to go, right?”

Coran looked down at his hands. A smile spread across his face. “Yes,” the kids looked up excitedly. “But I have some rules and conditions. Allura will chaperone. You have to listen to her. You get two hours before you must be back here and checked in with Nyma. And most of all, be careful. This worries me.”

Lance did a small salute. “Don’t worry about us. We have this under control.”

And so, they were off. 

The van was larger than expected, its white paint pristine and glistening. Allura took the front seat, motioning for Shiro to take the passenger side. The others piled into the back of the vehicle, Hunk and Pidge in the two far back seats, since they didn’t have to lug any equipment. Keith had his oxygen tank, and Lance had his liquid bags, the hanger on the smallest compact level possible. 

“We’re off,” Allura turned the key and put the van into gear. They shared a quick smile as the car rolled out of the parking lot. It had been a while since any of them had left. “Ready?”

“More than ready,” Lance steadied a swinging IV bag. “I didn’t think this was actually going to happen.”

“Well, guess what?” she turned on the blinker. “It’s happening.”

It only took five minutes to get to the roller skating rink. By that time, the entire van was bursting with happiness. Their first outing, together. 

Lance bounced out of the car, forgetting about his small setback. The rack tipped out, tumbling towards the ground. Before it could hit, a hand grabbed the pole, just inches away from the pavement. 

Keith was leaning out of the door, clutching both the metal rack and the door handle. He smiled softly, his face extremely close to the other boy’s. Lance blushed and backed away. “Thanks man. Forgot about that old thing.”

“Yeah,” Keith stepped down and rolled his tank out. Hunk and Pidge followed, easily making their way out. They shared a knowing glance. 

The lady at the check in desk smiled at the group. Surely, it must have been odd to see. “How many?”

“Six,” Lance grinned, before looking at the board behind the lady. He completely forgot about paying for their skates. 

Allura stepped in front of Lance, sliding money across the counter. “That should do it.” She nodded back at the racks of roller skates, motioning for the others to go pick out their pair. 

Lance had never roller skated before. He had never imagined it to be this difficult. And he hadn’t even gotten on the actual rink yet. A clunk sounded behind him. Keith. 

He was dragging the metal oxygen tank beside him, obviously having trouble with skating and pulling at the same time. He noticed Lance staring and shook his head, plopping down on a bench. 

“Here,” Lance slowly skated over, his bag rack gliding easily behind him. He reached out and grabbed the handle. “I can take this.”

“No,” Keith stood and tried to pull it away. “You don’t have to do that.”

Lance took it back. He smiled, small dimples indenting his tan cheeks. “Really. I can take it.”

The two entered the rink slowly, side by side, Lance tugging both the tank and his bag rack. It was a sight, for sure. Keith reached down and held on to part of the handle. His fingers brushed Lance’s. And this time, Lance didn’t back away. 

Hunk skated up to them, looking like a natural. He grinned at the sight of them. “You guys good?”

“Great,” Lance did a little dance to show him just how great he was doing. He stumbled as he tripped over one of his skates. Hunk reached out, steadying his friend. “Thanks, man.”

He smiled and skated backwards in front of the two. Lance was beyond curious about where he got these skills. Pidge slowly skated over, gripping the wall. They shrugged.

“So maybe this isn’t my thing. Sue me.”

“I might take you up on that,” Lance laughed and stumbled again. Allura and Shiro rushed over, seeing everyone struggling and tripping. Allura looked stressed, as if she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. In a way, she did.

Allura looked between them all. “Ooooookay,” She clasped her hands together. “I know we’ve only been here...ten minutes, but I don’t think this was the best idea.”

“I agree,” Shiro nodded. He turned slowly to Allura. “Can we go somewhere else? Coran did give us two hours.”

Before anyone could blink, Lance whipped the list out of his back pocket, grinning widely. “Oh, where did this come from? I didn’t know I brought it…”

Allura sighed and looked at the eager faces in front of her. How could she say no? Pidge even had their best ‘puppy eyes’ activated. She closed her eyes. “Fine.”

Lance practically jumped off the rink, pulling Keith with him. He raised the paper in front of his face, pointing at an item halfway down the list. It read, ‘go through an automatic car wash’. Keith raised his eyebrows amusingly. 

“You want to wash the car?”

“No, not me,” Lance put the paper in front of the others as they walked over to join the two. They looked just as amused as Keith had. “The machines.”

“I guess the old van could use a wash,” Allura tapped her chin. “Alright. Let’s go. But you’ll need to pick something to do afterwards. This doesn’t take long.”

Lance squealed and grabbed Keith’s oxygen tank before slipping on his skates, yet again. 

-

“Woah,” Lance stared out the window at the large brushes twirling outside the van. He was absolutely in awe, like a kid in a candy store. A very large candy store.

Hunk giggled in the backseat, nudging Pidge as they sighed. “What? It’s just water. And soap.”

“Yeah,” Lance pressed his hands to the glass. “And it’s moving.”

“Hate to break it to you,” Allura put the car into drive. “But so are we. What’s next?”

Lance straightened the paper out on his lap. “Well. A churro frappuccino sounds nice right now.” He pulled out his phone and started typing.

“A what?” Pidge leaned forward, their head sticking through the gap of the seats. “You’re making that up.”

“No,” Lance held his phone up so that they could see the screen. “Lo and behold, it exists. And I’m craving it right now.”

The van pulled out of the car wash and headed towards the nearest Starbucks, only five minutes away. When the car pulled in, Lance got his phone back out and started to scroll. “It’s on the secret menu, so.”

“So you’re one of those people,” Pidge unbuckled their belt and scooted forward. 

“Yes,” Lance proudly slipped out of the van, being careful of his mini bag rack. It was hardly noticeable, since it was below eye level, but he still felt weird dragging it around. Keith followed, making sure Lance didn’t make any wrong moves. 

The place was empty, which was odd, since it was early morning and coffee was often in high demand around this time. Lance was grateful for it; he didn’t want anyone to see him in his state. Stepping up to the counter, he grinned. “I would like a churro frappucino.” When the barista gave him a confused look, he looked down at his phone. “A grande vanilla bean frappuccino with a few pumps of cinnamon dulce and white mocha syrups. Oh, and some cinnamon swirled in there.”

The barista stood there for a moment, processing Lance’s absurd order. He wrote it slowly on a cup and set it down next to him. “Are these all together?”

The group looked from one another, and then all at once at Allura. She nodded and motioned for the next person to order a drink. Pidge ordered a green tea, Shiro got a macchiato, Keith opted for a black coffee, much to Lance’s dismay. Allura grabbed Hunk’s arm as he was walking up to order. 

“I was told to tell you, no sugar, okay?”

Hunk smiled and nodded, though the sadness in his eyes was unbearable. The only thing on the menu was an Iced Caffe Americano, so he reluctantly relayed that to the barista. Allura paid for the drinks without buying her own. 

“No drink, sweets?” Lance had his already, and his was sipping the whipped cream off. 

“No,” Allura shrugged. “I don’t really like this kind of stuff.” 

Since no one else was in the building, they got their drinks exceptionally fast. As they walked out the doors, Allura grabbed the list from Lance’s pocket. He gasped and reached for it. “Heyyyy, you can’t do that. That’s mine.”

On the back of the paper, lightly written in pencil, was a checkbox reading ‘go to Mexico’. A light bulb blinked on in the back of Allura’s mind. 

“I think we better head back,” she shouldered her bag and started towards the van. “But one of the items is a sleepover. We could easily do that.” 

And that’s how they ended up on the ground, littered with sleeping bags and popcorn kernels, laughing and leaning and loving. The way it should be. 

Halfway through, Pidge stood. “Ah, I forgot, I have to get something.”

“Oh, uh, me too,” Hunk followed suit, barely hiding a smile as he stumbled to his feet. Shiro sighed and smiled softly at Keith before giving into the peer pressure and shrugging. He too left, leaving the two boys unaccompanied for. 

“Um,” Lance turned his body towards Keith, making him tense. “So, what’s that about?” His eyes glittered in the faint light of the television screen, his tan skin putting off some sort of glow. Almost as if he wore a halo. It made Keith sick just thinking about it. 

A boy as beautiful as him didn’t need to die to be an angel. 

“I-I don’t know,” Keith shrugged and looked towards the screen, trying desperately to keep his eyes off Lance. Lance obviously didn’t take the hint, as he started up a casual conversation as if it was nothing. 

“I was thinking,” he started. “If it were possible, would you, maybe, want to go to Mexico with me?”

Keith stared at him in disbelief. The silence was eerie. 

“I-I mean,” Lance was losing his confidence. “Everyone would go, but…” Silence. “Would you want to?”

The air was cold, giving the room a deep and hollow feel. Somehow, in a crazy way, it made Lance feel secure. He shivered under his blanket.

Keith contemplated his next move. Did he like Lance? Was this leading him on? How would he cope with the grief if they became more than friends in the time they had together?

“Yes,” his own words surprised him. The room wasn’t cold anymore. The happiness radiated off them, making it warm and inviting. Something Keith had never felt before. “Yes. I’d love to.”

“WE’RE BACK,” Pidge yelled as they entered the room, carrying nothing in their hands. When Shiro shushed them, they smiled reluctantly and lowered the volume. “We’re back!”

Lance looked at the three, seeing that none of them were carrying anything. “I thought you said you needed to get something.” His cheeks were dusted pink. 

Hunk sat back down next to the blushing boy. “That’s on Pidge.”

“Hey,” Pidge sat down on their green sleeping bag. “I forgot. Everybody makes mistakes.”

“Everybody has those days.”

“This is why I love you,” Pidge reached for the bag of popcorn, turning their attention back to the screen. “Look, Darcy came back!”

Keith didn’t pull away when Lance intertwined their fingers

~

“There has to be something, anything.”

Allura tapped on the keyboard, scrolling through dozens of emails. Lance had approached her about getting some sort of ‘sick kid benefit’. A trip fund. 

“I can talk to Coran,” she turned towards the agitated boy, her eyes apologetic. “We can work something out, I promise.”

“I want everyone to go,” Lance leaned against the desk. “If that can even happen.”

She typed a bit more, her long fingers swiftly tracing the keys. She had the files pulled up in no time. Lance wondered why she didn’t talk to Pidge more. “No one else has used a trip fund in their time here, meaning it would be easier to get them to go with you.”

Lance sighed, a smile spreading across his face. “You don’t know how much I love you right now.”

“Don’t push it,” Allura smiled and spun around in her chair. Lance stepped out, only to bump into someone small and familiar. Camilla McClain looked up at her brother, eyes wide with surprise. 

“Oh, it’s you.”

“Don’t be so excited,” Lance grinned, pulling his sister into a loose embrace. Camilla wrapped her small arms around his thinning body, gasping softly as she felt his ribcage. “What brings you here on this fine afternoon?”

“Elsie,” she rolled her eyes and leaned towards her brother. “She insisted on spying. But don’t tell her I said that.”

Lance laughed and looked around for his other sister. “Where is she?”

“Had to park.”

“She drove?” Lance’s eyes widened in surprise. “And you trusted her?”

Cam pointed towards the elevator, as if knowing that Elsie would walk out at that moment. The Lance lookalike poked her head out cautiously. She jumped when she saw her siblings. 

“Cam!” Elsie strutted over to the two. “I thought we were spying, not confiding in the subject!”

“Fate led her to me,” Lance took Elsie into his arms, happy to see his lively sisters. “Spying, huh?”

Elsie hung her head in defeat. “Yeah, so?”

“You want to meet him?”

Cam and Elsie both snapped their head up, grinning wide. Their brother wasn’t easily swayed, so this decision was crucial to their plan. “Is that even a question?”

Lance laughed and led them towards Keith’s room, listing off rules for them to follow. Don’t ask him any personal questions. Don’t take pictures of him. Don’t comment on his hair. 

“In conclusions, let me do the talking,” Lance smiled and knocked on the door. Cam’s face was as straight as a board, yet Elsie’s was exactly the opposite. A giddy laugh shook her body. 

A small, hoarse voice sounded from inside the room. “Come in.”

Lance slowly opened the door, revealing a bed headed, sleepy Keith. Elsie squealed. 

“Did you just wake up?” Lance laughed and shut the door behind him. “My lord, Keith, it’s 2 p.m..”

Keith rubbed his eyes, finally realizing that he had more than just one visitor. He pulled his covers up above his shoulders. “Lance! What is this?”

“My lovely sisters!” he made an overly extravagant arm motion. Elsie ran forward and grabbed Keith’s hand, shaking is quickly. Lance smiled apologetically. “They’re excited.”

“Why?” Keith retracted his arm from the strong girl’s grip.

Lance flopped down into the chair sitting by the bed. He brushed away the question. “Where’s Shiro?” 

“Out.”

“Oh.”

Keith sighed and crossed his arms. “What do you need, McClain?” his voice was strained, like he was trying not to smile. 

“Just letting my sister’s into a day in the life of the World’s most coolest person,” he smiled over at the spot where Cam was, yet she was nowhere to be found. “Um, wait. Where’s Cam?”

Elsie mumbled something, lost in Keith’s presence. She appeared to be studying him, eyeing him up to see if he was good enough for her brother. 

“Well, I guess I’ll go find her,” Lance sighed and stood slowly. Keith pleaded with him without speaking, telling him to take Elsie with him. Lance threw him a thumbs up, leaving the two alone. 

It didn’t take him long to find Camilla.

She was standing in front of Lance’s room, staring at the number and the names under it. Pidge was written on the board in lime green marker. 

“Cam?”

She whirled around, her face showing something Lance had never seen before. 

Admiration.

“Oh, hey,” she mumbled, leaning against the board. “What’s up?”

“What’s up with you?” Lance raised an eyebrow and glanced at the door. Pidge wouldn’t be in there, of course. They would be down in the study room, doing their schoolwork. Kids in recovery were home schooled, since going to school tended to be too strenuous. 

“I’m just, uh, looking at your room,” she laughed nervously. “It’s lovely.”

“It looks like any other room.”

Cam sighed and sat down on the floor, something she tended to do when she got too nervous. Lance took his spot next to her, finally understanding the situation.

“You like Pidge.”

“WHAT?” Cam pretended to be surprised, but acting wasn’t her thing. She was as smitten as a 14 year old could be, and it was completely obvious to anyone who witnessed her in this state. 

“I know,” Lance smiled. “You guys get your intuition from somewhere. Trust me, it’s awkward at first, because it’s different. Have you...told anyone else?”

“No,” she avoided any eye contact, keeping her dark eyes on the tile.

“That’s okay,” he looked over at his sister. “I love you. You’re amazing, and powerful, and you can do anything you set your mind to. This is not a setback, but a step forward. I believe in you.”

Cam smiled and stood. She often became nervous when people prodded into her personal life. “Thanks, bro. Look at you, being all psychological.” 

“Ha ha,” Lance mocked a laugh and slid up the wall. “Let’s go make sure Elsie hasn’t talked Keith to death.”

He was still alive, but barely. Elsie had resorted to sitting on Keith’s bed, making the angsty boy exceptionally uncomfortable. She was grinning, her head in her hands. She turned towards the door when Lance and Cam walked in. “Ah! You’re back!” 

“Have you done enough damage?” Lance sat back down on the same seat, smirking as Keith shot him a glare. 

“Yes,” Elsie grinned. She brushed her hands and shrugged. “We’re all set. Cam?”

The dark haired girl raised her head at the mention of her name. She nodded, yet a look of sadness stuck on her pale face. Lance knew exactly what she wanted. Pidge. 

Yet Elsie dragged the younger of the two out, smiling and waving at Keith, and making sure to give Lance a hug before they left. As scary as it was, the family didn’t really know when he was supposed to go. 

There was only a moment of silence in the room before Allura ran in. She stepped back, a bit surprised by the sight of the two patients. If she hadn’t known, it would’ve looked like they were just two childhood friends at a sleepover, talking about dark secrets and problems they were having. 

“Lance,” she smiled, catching her breath as she did so. That beautiful smile that once made Lance fumble for words was back, and even brighter. “I found a loophole. How does a week in Mexico sound?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SO SORRY YOU GUYS  
> 1) this chapter sucks and i apologize, its a filler and I kind of just wanted to put some content out there, since it had been quite a long time since the last update.   
> 2) I've been incredibly busy with school and band and running, and I've been having some personal issues, so i've been trying to focus on those things, and I completely neglected this fic. I'll try to post more!  
> IT'S GOING TO GET BETTER I PROMISE  
> Thanks for sticking with me <3  
> xoxo


	7. Chapter 7

“Does everyone have everything?”

The bags were scattered on the airport floor, taking up most of the space in the terminal. Lance leaned back against the wall, surveying the group sitting around him. Pidge clutched a small device, pressing furiously on the buttons. Shiro messed with his prosthetic, re-attaching it after having to take it off for security. Keith sat in the chair next to Lance, his arms crossed over his chest. His oxygen tank stood innocently on the carpet. Hunk scrambled through his carry on, desperately trying to remember if he brought his heart monitor. Coran was talking to the lady at the desk. She had been staring intently at the group of teens, as if trying to figure out what the deal was. 

And Allura? She was taking Lina to the bathroom. 

Lance had no idea how he persuaded his parents to let Lina go with them all. 

He didn’t even know how any of the others were here. 

Apparently, they hadn’t used their ‘wishes’ yet. And for some reason, they all decided that it would be a great idea to join Lance on his escapade in Mexico.  
It’s not like he was going to complain. 

He smiled at his best friends, taking in the air. There was an extra oxygen tank packed, and to his despair, Lance knew it was for him. At this time, he was down to a month left. And everyone knew it. 

Pushing the thought aside, he looked over at Shiro. “Pretty sure. When do we board?”

“Five minutes,” he replied, right as the intercom buzzed and a voice crackled through the speaker. 

“Terminal C is now boarding, terminal C is now boarding.”

Shiro blushed and shrugged slightly. Allura ran into the terminal, holding a small, laughing girl. Her dark hair was pulled back into pigtails, making the already adorable child ten times cuter. 

“Lina!” Lance held out his arms, embracing the child. She giggled and clung on, leaving Allura’s arms for his. “We’re going to get on the big, metal bird now, okay?”

Lina nodded and pointed towards her pink hello kitty backpack. She had packed plenty of crayons and books to keep herself occupied for days. 

Lance set his cousin down before staring at the metal container. He didn’t have a carry on, so Coran gave him the job of carrying the tank. He shuddered. 

A pale hand reached out and grabbed the handle. Keith smiled timidly at Lance, leaning his head towards the loading gate. “I’ve got this for now. No worries.”

Lance could kiss him. 

“Thanks,” he opted for the smile instead of a kiss. It wasn’t the time for that yet.

The plane was small, perfect for the group and a few others. There were two seats on each side, creating quite a few arguments over who got the window seat. In the end, Lina sat herself by the window, while Lance was forced to the aisle seat.

“Ladies and gentleman,” a flight attendant appeared at the front of the plane, holding up a buckle. “If you please, direct your attention to the small light above your seat. This will notify you when you need to have your seat belts buckled.”

Lance closed his eyes, and somehow, was asleep within two minutes of the start of the presentation. 

~

“Lance! Look!”

Lance’s eyes fluttered open, his mind dazed. Lina poked her head in front of the boy, her small smile as wide as could be. She pulled his head towards the window, forcing him to look outside. The ocean was in view, outlined by tall buildings and winding streets. They were still among the clouds, but soon enough, they’d be landing. 

The light for the belt buckles blinked on as the plane started to decline. Pidge clasped their hands in excitement.

As the plane rolled onto the runway, Lance felt something spring from the back of his mind. 

His first and last trip. 

He pushed the thought aside and looked around at the others. “Bienvenido a Mexico!” Lina clapped, giggling at the look of confusion on their faces. 

“My conscience is telling me that that means ‘welcome’,” Hunk stuck his head between the seat. He had been passed out the whole ride. 

“Would you look at that,” Lance smirked. “My buddy knows Spanish.”

The terminal wasn’t far from the baggage claim. Lance pointed out all of the signs that were in Spanish, quizzing his friends about what they said. Pidge was the only one who sort of got the hang of the language. 

Sunlight streamed through the glass door leading to the taxi pickup. Vans sat parked along the curb, drivers motioning to every person who stepped through those doors. Coran led the group towards a larger taxi van. 

Keith slid into the seat next to Lance, smiling softly. “How are you feeling?”

“Awe, you care about me?” 

“Well, if you put it that way…,” Keith smiled again, this time brighter and happier. Lance could almost feel the emotion radiating off him. 

“Hyatt Ziva resort, please!” Allura took the passenger seat. She put Lina in the middle between Coran and Pidge, for safety reasons. The driver nodded and hit the gas pedal. They sped away from the airport, everyone holding on for dear life. The taxi driver laughed and apologized in surprisingly smooth english, but Pidge held on to Lina for the rest of the car ride. 

A gate separated the rustic resort from the rest of Puerto Vallarta. The taxi pulled slowly into the drop off lane, promptly getting out and opening the door for the group. A man greeted them and motioned for another to grab their bags. 

“Bienvenido a Mexico!” He grinned and offered them cold towels. “I’m glad you all got here safely. Can I get you a drink?”

Lance was in love.

They had two adjacent rooms, all looking more or less the same. The large rooms had two queen sized beds and a couch, a flat screen TV, a nice sized cabinet, and a bathroom. Lance ran in and jumped onto one of the beds. It molded around him, making the tall boy sigh. “I could live with this.”

Keith followed him in and dropped his duffel on the floor next to the bed. “It’s alright.”

“Alright?” Lance sat up, looking appalled. “Keith, look me in the eyes and tell me that you’ve stayed in a place nicer than this.”

He rolled his eyes and turned around, attempting to hide his blush. 

“That’s what I thought.” Lance unzipped his suitcase. A pair of swimming trunks fell out, making the boy laugh. “It’s a sign. What do you say, pretty boy?”

Keith shrugged and pointed to the other room. “We should probably consult with the others.”

“Psh. We can just go.”

“Lance,” Keith motioned towards his oxygen tank. “I have this.”

“We can take it,” the brunette started to strip off his shirt, making Keith shy away and cover his eyes. Lance laughed. “I’ll go in the bathroom. You get dressed out here.”

And that’s the story of how Keith found himself sitting on the sand under a red umbrella, sipping a virgin strawberry daiquiri and staring longingly at his love. 

Love. Keith frowned at the word floating aimlessly in his head. Lance danced weirdly away from the cold waves, as if trying to find a way to sneak in. The beach wasn’t too crowded, since the sky was slightly overcast. Just the way he liked it. 

Keith intended to spend every waking moment with Lance. 

What else was he to do? The boy had made him feel love for the first time in his life, it wasn't like he was about to let him go that easily.

Lance ran as fast as he could up the sandy beach towards Keith. He collapsed by his feet, grinning up at the other. “You should get in.”

“I’m going to have to pass,” Keith raised his drink for emphasis. “This is too good to waste.” Lance wasn’t going to take a no. He grabbed Keith’s arm and the handle of his tank and started down towards the crystal blue water. Keith screamed and complained, but showed no signs of restraint. He had to bury his smile miles down. 

They stepped into the water, wading up to their ankles. Keith shuddered at the cold temperature of the water. Lance secured the oxygen tank in the sand and let go, allowing the two to freely move as far as the tubes allowed. 

“See? Not bad at all,” Lance said softly, letting his hand slide down Keith’s arm and settle into his small hand. Their fingers interlaced perfectly. Keith looked down, shocked. 

“Y-yeah,” he sighed and looked out into the setting sun. “Not bad at all.” 

Pidge made their way through the sand. It was taking longer than usual, since the sand was getting stuck in their shoe, making it hard to move. Hunk trailed behind, carrying towels. 

Pidge stopped suddenly, throwing their arm out. It hit Hunk with a thud. 

“Pidge? What are you-?”

“SHH,” they dropped quickly onto the sand, motioning for Hunk to follow their lead. “You really need better observation skills.”

“What is this all about?” he looked towards the ocean, squinting for a moment before letting out an understanding ‘ohhhh’. His cheeks reddened as he watched his best friends. “Should we be watching this?”

“Is that even a question?” Pidge pulled out their phone. Hunk smacked it into the sand quicker than Pidge could think. “Hey, what was that for?”

Lance looked over at the suspicious duo, a confused look on his glowing face. “Hunk? Pidge?”

“RUN,” Pidge jumped to their feet and pulled Hunk up after them. They started to sprint across the beach, though Hunk struggled to keep his footing and stumbled over. “I’m sorry, every man for himself!”

Lance was by the bigger boy’s side in seconds. “Woah there, buddy. Need a hand?”

“I’m sorry,” Hunk grabbed Lance’s outstretched hand and pulled himself upward. “I was supposed to be inconspicuous.”

“I hate to break it to you, but that was anything but ‘inconspicuous’.” 

Hunk shrugged and pointed back towards the resort. “We were coming to tell you that it’s time for dinner. There’s a buffet man. A buffet.” 

“I don’t expect anything less,” Lance smirked, not long before the joking expression broke into a worried panic. He turned around to face the ocean. Keith was standing in the water alone, trying to drag himself back up to where his friends were standing. Lance jogged down to the water with his hands reaching for the other boy.

Keith smiled lightly and shrugged, showing all signs of contentment. The water rushed forward, enveloping their feet, foaming at the edges and sliding up the beach. It glimmered in the setting sun, it’s aura warm and welcoming. 

“Guys,” Hunk called from the top of the small sand dune. “I’m really hungry.”

“Yes, right,” Lance shook himself from his small trance and grabbed the tank’s handle. “Ready to go, waterboy?”

“Yeah...firegirl? Isn’t that a game? It’s definitely a game.”

“It’s a game,” They reached Hunk just in time for him to insert is input. “That brings back memories.”

Lance frowned. “I don’t believe it. Is this a secret cult that I’m not allowed to be in?”

“What? Cult? No, why would you even think that?” Hunk tried to hide his laughter behind his arm. They climbed the stairs leading off the beach, the smell of food wafting out of the open air restaurant.

Lance stopped and leaned over, attempting to catch his breath. Keith’s happiness dropped quicker than humanly possible, as he had known exactly what that felt like. Suffocation. As if a barrier surrounded his lungs. 

“You okay buddy?” Hunk touched Lance’s shoulder gingerly. “I can go get Coran.”

“Just, fine,” Lance shot a reassuring smile. “They’re probably waiting on us.”

Keith couldn’t eat. Lance struggling to breathe surrounded his thoughts, enveloping his appetite and throwing it out the window. 

The clock in his mind started to tick. 

~~~~~

“Circus show tonight!” Coran clasped his hands together, staring happily at the adolescents before him. “It sure should be interesting.”

“Can we join in?” Pidge tapped something into their phone. “I’ve always wanted to join the circus.”

“I’m sure Matt wouldn’t mind that,” Shiro laughed from his spot by Allura. They were starting to show the affects of young love, though Lance didn’t find it gross. Cute, sure. 

Lina tapped Lance’s hand, silently demanding his attention. He reached down and slowly scooped up the laughing girl. 

“We should get our seats,” Allura nodded towards the courtyard, where a small trapeze was set up in front of plastic lawn chairs. “I’m not sure how the turnout will be.”

It sure was a turn out.

Everyone at the resort was there, clapping and cheering as the acrobats flipped around on flimsy bars. Their extravagant outfits pulled Lance in, making him envious of the gorgeous performers. 

A tall, tan skinned man pulled out knives, catching the eye of Keith. He sat upright, hands on his mouth, completely in awe. The man proceeded to light the long knives on fire, juggling them slowly at first before picking up speed. The crowd cheered loudly before the performers took their bow. Lance glanced over at Lina, asleep in her chair. How she slept through the performance, he had no idea. 

“I can take her,” Allura smiled and picked up the sleeping child. She looked like dead weight in her arms. “I was just going to head up to the room anyways.”

“I think everyone should get an early rest tonight,” Coran announced. “We’re going into town tomorrow.”

Town. Home. 

Not his real home, Lance knew that. But it was something deep and meaningful to him. 

“I’mma hit the hay,” Lance declared, pointing towards the room. He yawned, making his point. 

“Who sleeps where?” Hunk questioned as the group stood in the elevator. There were only two rooms, four beds total. 

“Well, that’s the thing,” Coran counted on his fingers. “Four beds, eight people. Lina can sleep on the pull out couch, and Allura can sleep on one of the beds in that room. Pidge can take the other bed. And the rest of us can decide when we get there.” 

The bed situation was a mess. Shiro wanted to sleep with Allura, and Coran deemed that “professionally unjust”. 

Lance got exactly what he wanted. 

“Isn’t this perfect?” He settled into the mattress before smiling at Keith. The wary boy stood by the bed, adjusting the tubes connected to his oxygen tank. 

“Almost,” Keith found a comfortable pathway and let out a defeated breath as he took his spot on the bed. “If only we had Netflix.”

“No, we don’t have that,” Lance reached for the remote. “But we do have a TV. I can translate. It’ll be fun.”

Hunk snorted from the bed next to them. “We should try to guess first.” He fumbled with the light comforter, smiling at the softness. Shiro threw a thumbs up from the other side of the bed. 

Keith fell asleep to the bubbly sound of Lance singing.

~~~

Coran had a long list of things to do on the short trip. Within two minutes of entering the city, the list was scrapped. 

“CORAN, LOOK,” Lance jogged over to a candy store, staring in awe at the man mixing sugar in a large bowl. The man smiled and waved him over. 

“Hola,” he set the wooden spoon on the table beside him. “¿Has estado en nuestra tienda antes?”

Keith and Pidge appeared next to Lance, looking at each other in confusion. “He asked if we’ve ever been to his store,” he whispered before turning back to the man. “No, esta es nuestra primera visita. No hablan español.”

“I feel like he’s talking about us,” Pidge raised their eyebrows. “Better not be.”

“Ah!” the store clerk laughed. “Please, come in!”

Lance bounced up the stairs towards the store entrance, his happiness radiating off his tan skin. Nothing could bring him down from this. This was his domain. 

The store was small, but it made up for it in rows of candy. From caramels to turrones, the colorful wrappers lines the walls in stacks. Strings of sour liquorice hung from the ceiling above a long counter. A woman sat behind it, counting money and fanning herself with her hand. She smiled when the three entered the shop.

“Hola!” She slid the money into the register and stood. “Welcome to Dulceria Leal! Can I help you?”

“Oh, no,” Lance put on his most respectable grin. A small display caught his eye, a gasp escaping his lips. He waved apologetically and stumbled over to the shelf. Small fudge looking candies covered in sprinkles sat in the corner, though they somehow got the teen’s attention. Keith followed, peering over his shoulder. 

“Hey, what is that?”

Lance picked up a package carefully, examining the label. “My abuela used to make these. She’d make there for every holiday.” He dug in his pocket for stray pesos. “I have to bring these back for the family. They’ll murder me if I don’t.”

“Is this all?” The cashier pointed at the dulce. Lance nodded, shooting a happy glance at the boy next to him. 

Keith was just about starstruck. 

“Where to now?” The group stood in front of a tall church, the proclaimed center of the city. People walked by, tourists and civilians alike, staring at the tall steeple in awe. The ocean caught Lance’s eye, it’s foaming waves crashing along the edge of the sidewalk. 

“Let’s just walk,” He pointed towards the ocean, a playful smirk on his face. “It’s calling me.” 

The oceanside area was cluttered with shops, both big and small, adorned with colorful decorations and strings of lights. A few people with instruments were gathered by the middle of the square playing music. A woman sat by the rocks, painting a picture of the water. 

Lance couldn’t stop smiling. This was his home. 

~

“God, today was exhausting,” Lance flopped onto the couch, his breath coming in small huffs. The elevator was under maintenance, so they had to take the stairs. “I didn’t even get to pick up any ladies.”

Coran gave Allura a side look, though she looked more concerned about the ‘ladies’ part. “It’s a little late,” he picked up the phone next to the bed. “How does room service sound?”

“Woah,” Pidge held the room service menu, gaping at it’s contents. “Chicken tostadas? Sign me up.”

“You can sign me up too,” Hunk jumped towards the menu. “I’m hankering for some mini tacos.”

Lance opened the glass doors, looking out at the sunset. The sun just barely peeked over the water. “I’m going to head down to the beach for a second,” he threw a smile at the worried onlookers. “Don’t miss me too much.”

The minute Lance shut the door, every pair of eyes turned to Keith. He sighed. “I guess that’s my cue.”

It didn’t take him long to find Lance. He stood by the water, toes dug into the wet sand. Keith lugged his oxygen tank through the soft terrain. The water was cold, making him jump back in surprise. Lance turned at the sudden motion. 

“Hey, Keith!” He waved and talked towards the shivering boy. “Long time no see.”

Keith laughed. “I think ‘long time’ is exaggerating.”

“Yeah. yeah, whatever. Do you need something?”

“Oh, um, I,” Keith fidgeted, trying to find the right words. The timing was perfect. Almost everyone had cleared out to go eat dinner, and the sun left a faint pink glow on the clouds. It was now or never. “I have something to tell you.”

“Huh,” Lance smirked lightly. “You’re about to tell me how good looking I am, right?”

Keith scowed out of habit. “No. You just ruined it.”

“Sorry, sorry,” he folded his hands together. “I’m ready to listen. Hit me.” His blue eyes sparkled in the fading sun, making Keith sweat nervously. 

He turned to face Lance, though his eyes pointed towards the ground. In one swift move, he reached up and grabbed the other, gently pressing their lips together. Lance only showed a moment of confusion before grinning and pulling Keith closer to him in obvious joy. As quick as it started, the kiss ended, leaving the two boys to laugh quietly. 

“I think I understand,” Lance tried not to stumble over his words. “But, just for clarification, you should probably do that again.”

Keith found that it was much easier the second time. 

~~~

The weather was perfect on the last day of the trip. The previous day had been spent at the resort, playing games and eating food. A mad game of beach volleyball had commenced, with Allura and Lance claiming victory over Pidge and Shiro. 

“Alright,” Lance looked down at his suitcase in dismay. “I think I have everything. Sadly.” 

“I know it’s a bit sad,” Coran rolled his suitcase up to the door. “But think about it this way! It’s fall back at home!”

“Coran, I know you’re trying to help, but God, I hate cold weather.”

The suitcases were lined inside the door, waiting to be packed into the taxi to go back to the airport. Pidge sighed and stared longingly out the window. “Nope. I’m not going back.”

“You can say that all you want,” Allura knelt beside Lina, strapping on her flowered sandals. “I’m afraid there’s nothing to do now.”

“That’s right,” Coran nudged a bag with his foot. “Okay, kids, let’s load up.”

Lance felt as if a weight pressed down onto his chest. A small breath escaped his mouth, leaving him to lean against the wall for support. Keith was at his side in an instant. 

“Hey,” he kept his voice low. “Everything okay?”

His eyes started to water, yet he forced a smile. “Keith? I don’t think I am.”

As if he understood, Keith silently slipped over to the doctor, whispering something to him before picking up a small bag. Coran nodded and said something before gathering the rest of the group and leading them out of the room. Keith held the bag timidly while shutting the door. 

“I know it might seem odd,” he walked towards the wall Lance was leaning on. “But it helps so much. I promise.” 

He grabbed Lance’s arm and led him over to the bed. Lance perched on the bed, eyeing the bag and it’s contents suspiciously. Keith pulled out a large silver cylinder, before unrolling the tubes and connecting them to the top of the tank. He held up the nasal cannula. 

“Coran thought that maybe I could help, since I have experience,” he shrugged. “Pretty trusting guy.”

“Yeah,” Lance laughed nervously before taking the tube. “How exactly do I…”

“Here,” Keith held his hand over Lance’s guiding the cannula towards his nose. “The two stubs go into the nose, and then the tube wraps around..-” He laved the tubing around Lance’s ears, setting it perfectly. Lance scrunched up his nose, obviously uncomfortable with the feeling of the tubes. 

“Well, isn’t this fun,” he laughed once more. “Thanks. I mean it.”

Keith pressed a kiss to the other boy’s cheek. “Let’s get going. Coran is probably flipping his lid. 

Well, he wasn’t wrong. Coran had the taxi packed, including everyone piled into the cab, and he waited nervously outside. 

“Everything good?” He gave them a thumbs up. 

With a nod and a check to see if the tank was working properly, they were off for the airport. 

“Lance?” Lina poked the oxygen tank. “Why do you have that?”

“Because,” He squeezed her arm lightly, causing her to giggle. “I want to look like Keith.”

The pair of McClain's slept the whole plane ride home. 

~

The airport in Altea was packed, the crowds of people arriving back home flooded into the terminals. Shiro placed Lina on his shoulders, telling her to ‘find Waldo’. She pointed out Pidge.

“Don’t you think we should get some food?” Hunk rubbed his stomach. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, the cafeteria food is just fine, but I’m not really ready for that yet.”

“Why not?” Coran pointed to a Panda Express. “Is this fine?”

Pidge and Hunk responded by sprinting towards the restaurant with Allura at their heels, reminding them to slow down. 

Lance’s reflection in a mirror caught his eye. The clear tubes wrapped like snakes around his head, making him want to crawl under his bed and never resurface. 

He didn’t want this. This meant that he was giving up. 

A hand slowly intertwined with his, pulling his gaze away from his red rimmed eyes. A pair of purple ones met them.

“You’re beautiful,” Keith’s smile lit up the corridor, leaving Lance in wonder.

That was all the convincing he needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI,  
> So basically, I just added on to the chapter to make one whole "Mexico trip" scene.  
> I just wanted to apologize again for the delay. I've been having some health issues that keep me from writing, but I'd love to get into a routine so that I can have new content every week for you all.  
> SIDE NOTE/REMINDER: I do not know Spanish, nor am I too great with medical terminology. Please correct my errors, I want to make this as accurate as I can.  
> Anyways, enjoy this chapter! I'll be making revisions every so often, so I apologise for any errors. It's late, and sleep is calling my name.  
> Don't be shy! leave a comment telling me how you liked it!   
> XOXO,  
> elsie


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is your warning.

“I swear, Lance. Every time I walk into this room, there’s more clutter.”

“If it bothers you that much, feel free to clean it.”

Elsie hopped over a pile of shoes lying by the doorway. It had grown since she had last visited, which was greatly concerning to the germaphobe. Nevertheless, she crossed the unmanaged room without a second glance. 

“I might have to,” she sighed and sat on the bed next to her brother. “This is getting out of hand.”

Lance huffed. He was connected to more wires than ever. Oxygen tubes hung from his nostrils, IVs stuck in his arm, and a small clasp clipped on his finger. The beeping was steady, to Elsie’s relief. “You can’t forget, I have a roommate. They’re even worse than me.”

It was true. Pidge’s side was littered with everything imaginable; boxes, t-shirts, a tornado of charging cords. They were curled in a small chair in the corner, typing furiously on their laptop. Their music blared through the green headphones enveloping their messy morning hair. 

“OH MY GOD,” the headphones were thrown across the room. “The nerve of this guy! I bought an old Nintendo Virtual Boy off this website, and apparently he ‘can’t deliver to minors’. It isn’t drugs, it’s a lame gaming device.” 

“What a shame,” Lance picked up the headphones, now strewn over a pile of books about space. The stairwell flashed into his mind. It had been weeks since they’d gone.

“So that’s who Cam is so head over heels for,” Elsie whispered. Not that Pidge was paying attention. Their angry glare could be seen for miles. “Hm. I ship it.”

Lance nodded slowly. “Where is she, anyways?” What day was it? Saturday? Sunday? The time had lost him. It’s not like he minded. 

“School,” Elsie smirked. She had a tendency to skip, since she was smart enough to catch right up when she decided to go to school. Lance had always been jealous of the sister’s brain. “Losing track already?”

Pidge snorted. “I’m pretty sure he lost track the minute he stepped into this place.”

“Hey, hey,” Lance frowned. “Let’s not gang up on me here.”

“Whatever,” Pidge stood up from their spot on the floor and walked towards the door. “I’m going to find Hunk. Come if you want.” And with that, they were gone. Lance turned towards his sister, an eyebrow raised. 

“And you’re skipping school because?” 

“A sale at Victoria’s Secret,” Elsie sighed longingly. “But I decided to be a good sister and come here afterwards.”

Lance scoffed. Sure, she was a great sister. He was thankful for that. But sometimes, her wording wasn’t the best. He pointed towards the door that Pidge had previously exited. “Want to go see the gang? They’re a real hoot.”

She shrugged, her loose tee slipped off her shoulder. “I have nothing else to do, so sure.” As she stood, Lance grabbed her sleeve and pulled it up, covering her bright pink bra. It made her already tan skin glow. 

“Hold on, let me…,” he hopped off the bed, carefully disconnecting a cord clipped to his index finger. The tubes connected to the oxygen tank untangled themselves as they slipped off the bed. “Okay, I think we’re set.” Lance let out a soft sigh, not wanting his sister to hear him struggle to breathe. She still noticed. 

“Are you sure you should be up?” Elsie sounded concerned, something she strived so hard to conceal. “We can stay in here, really.”

“No, no, I’m fine. You underestimate my power.”

Still, the younger sibling steadied Lance, slipping her arm into his. She grinned up at him and grabbed the tank’s handle. “I can take care of that.”

The others were found in Hunk’s room, all settled around the TV. The room was dark, besides the thin stream of light coming in through the doorway. Hunk cradled a bowl of popcorn.

Right as the McClains entered the room, there was a simultaneous scream. Elsie chuckled to herself. “I wish that would happen more often.” As they walked further into the  
room, the screen came into view. Annabelle was the movie of choice today, and that meant that by the end, popcorn would be everywhere. 

“Guys, really?” Lance scooted in, taking a seat on an open chair. “If you can’t handle the jump scares, don’t watch it.” Elsie perched herself on the chair’s arm. 

Pidge whipped around. “Says you! You’re the worst with jump scares.” 

The girl on the screen made her way over to the dollhouse, the lights flickering on. Hunk started to tense up.

“Is this what you guys do all day?” Elsie yawned softly. 

A tiny window curtain moved, showing a figure on the other side of the dollhouse. Shiro grabbed and handful of popcorn and shoved it in his mouth, silently awaiting disaster. Annabelle stood on the other side, staring out the window. As any stupid horror movie victim would, the girl started to walk over to the doll. Pidge grabbed the pillow beside them, and Lance gripped his sister’s hand, though he knew she didn’t need it. He did. 

As Annabelle revealed her demented face, the entire group screamed, and the popcorn flew as expected. The girl on the screen ran as fast as she could, though the doll grabbed her leg. 

“NO, NO, NO.”

“Oh Lord have mercy.”

“What did the girl ever do to you?!”

The screaming intensified as the girl struggled to get down the stairs. Just as the dollhouse lights had, the overhead lights flicked on, revealing a disheveled Coran. 

“What did I say about the noise level?” he gaped at the crowd flocked around the TV. It sure was a sight; Hunk collecting the popcorn off the ground, Shiro breathing heavily, Keith clutching his stress ball, Pidge tucked into their pillow, and the siblings laying over one another. He sighed and began to close the door. “I don’t want to have to come in here again.”

“Yes, Coran,” the patients chorused, overlapping Elsie’s “yes sir”. 

Shiro grabbed the remote and turned the volume down. “I’m not sure if this is the best idea.”

Keith slid the stress ball back into his skinny jeans. “I thought it was a great idea.” 

“Mr. ‘Nothing-scares-me-I’m-too-emo’, you screamed as loud as all of us combined,” Pidge unfurled themself and placed the pillow in front of them. Keith rolled his eyes, attempting to hide a sly smile. 

“So, no more of that,” Hunk stared at his empty bowl. “The popcorn was gross anyways. Flavorless, just as Allura likes it.”

“Aw, c’mon, I want to know what happens!” Lance gestured towards the empty screen. “The girl is crippled, she’s being attacked by a demon doll, what’s better than that?”  
Shiro groaned. “A lot of things, actually.”

“C’mon, lazies,” Pidge picked the pillow off the ground and threw it onto the bed. “Let’s do something. I feel like I’ve gained ten pounds.”

“And who’s fault is that?” Hunk turned the TV off. 

“The tumors. You can’t fight me on that.”

The room was silent for a moment, until a low cough sounded from the doorway. Coran knocked once as he leaned against the frame. “I heard the magic sentence. You’ve been granted access to the outdoors. Please be back inside by dinner.”

The excited teens jumped up from their seats, grasping at the mention of the fresh air. Hunk had his shoes on in no time. Elsie giggled at the sight of them. 

“Thrilled, huh?” she helped Lance out of the chair, to his dismay. “The outside is a dangerous place.” 

Pidge groaned. “Maybe to you. To us, it’s a portal to another dimension.” 

“You make it sound as if you’re in prison.”

“It’s more or less the same,” Keith piped up from the corner where he bent to tie his red converse. “The same routine, every day. The only difference is that we don’t have to wear restraints. Instead, these.” He lifted the tube leading into his nose. 

Elsie clamped her mouth shut, glancing at Lance’s matching appliance. Her face turned an unnatural shade of red.

“How about that air?” Shiro broke the silence. Pidge pointed towards the nearest exit, bellowing a “huzzah”. A nurse shushed them as they passed by. 

The sun was bright, but the air was starting to chill, making it the perfect fall weather. All the leaves had already fallen, though, so it was pretty much winter. Lance held his jacket tight around his shoulders. Elsie clutched his arm, as if afraid that if she let go, he would slip from her fingers. In a different sense, he probably would. 

They rounded the small lake, nearing a small sitting area on a dock. There were only five chairs, though Elsie gladly took a spot on the ground. “I feel like I’d be kicked out if I made one of you guys sit on the,” she winced. “Splinters.” 

“It’s so beautiful,” Hunk plopped into a chair nearest to the end. Why can’t we do this more often?”

“Do you not remember the talk we just had?” Pidge pointed at the pair of metal tanks, set side by side. Lance had taken the seat next to Keith and was softly poking at his hand. 

“Oh, I got it,” Elsie hid her face. “No worries.”

The peace had finally come. The six sat in silence, enjoying the cool breeze and the closeness. It was a power, an aura, a secret bond between them. They interconnected, mingled, fused, just as a proper relationship should. They were one. 

Elsie was the first to speak. After thirty minutes in quiet, she rose. “I have to go,” she bent down to peck Lance’s cheek. “Need any help?”

“I think I have it all right here.”

-

The next day dragged on. And the next. Lance’s family came to visit quite a few times. It was as if they knew that time was limited. 

“If you tell anyone, I swear Lance,” Cam pressed her lips to his ear as she crinkled a note into his palm. “Things will not go well for you.”

“Relax, sister,” he grinned. “I’m the best secret keeper around.”

“Uh huh.”

The note ended up being Cam’s number, scratched eerily onto the lines. No name, no identity. Just a set of numbers. There was no need for it. Pidge would know who it was.

That night, almost two weeks since the group went to the lake, Lance got in his wheelchair and Keith wheeled him towards the stairwell at the end of the hallway. It was dark, since everyone was back in their rooms. The nurses were conversing in the back break room. 

The stairs were lit with small candles Pidge had smuggled from the supply closet. Music played softly through a speaker . It looked beautiful, almost as it had the first time Lance had ever laid eyes on it. 

He felt himself tear up.

“Can you walk down?” Keith spoke so quietly that Lance almost didn’t hear him. 

“Oh, uh, yeah,” he gripped the handles and stood. His lungs felt like cement. Keith grabbed his arm without a second’s thought, his grip secure and loving all the same. He never wanted to let go. 

Slowly but surely, they made their way down. The air was warm and inviting. Shiro, Hunk, and Pidge stood waiting at the bottom, small smiles grazed upon their faces. The only bean bags were the red and blue ones. Lance frowned. 

“What’s this about?” his eyes flicked from Shiro, to Keith, and back to the others. 

“ A proper date,” Shiro nodded at the two bags. “You deserve it.”

Lance smiled at his friends, before looking at his love. A date. With Keith. 

It was everything he could dream of. 

“Well, that’s our cue,” Pidge bowed before starting up the stairs. “We’ll be around. Feel free to call.” 

And silence. A good, meaningful silence. 

“So,” Keith chuckled. 

“So,” Lance turned his body towards the other. He felt inclined to. 

“Have you ever been on a date?”

“Not really. Have you?”

“No.”

“I can’t help but feel that maybe we aren’t prepared enough for this,” Lance peered out at the night sky, cloudless and unending. 

Keith laughed, the sound heartwarming. “Maybe not. I think I know enough, though.”

He rose up off of his chair, that bright smile still spread across his pale face. The light made him look like an angel. Lance’s angel. His lips pressed against Lance’s, slowly, and then all at once. A never ending cycle of want and need, the feeling of finally belonging to someone. 

Lance forgot how to breathe.

He lurched back, panting. Keith grabbed his hand. “I’m so, so sorry. Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Lance smiled through his obvious pain. “I-I forgot how to breathe.”

“It becomes difficult,” the pale boy almost seemed to shine in the moonlight. “I know that you’ll do just fine.”

“You sap,” he chuckled and pushed himself back up on his bean bag. “Never thought I’d get to see this side of you.”

“Well, aren’t you lucky?”

In that moment, Lance felt like the both the least and most lucky person in the world. 

-

“Oh, honey.”

Lance had been put on bedrest. He felt useless; like a paperweight. Were those ever really used, anyways?

His mother rushed in, the rest of the family filing in close behind. It would be cramped, as the room wasn’t very large, but at the moment, none of that mattered. 

His familia. 

Lance teared up at the sight of him. His oxygen levels had been raised within the past few days, since all of his air was coming from the tank. He hated every minute. 

“Mama,” she engulfed him in her hug and the cheap but effective perfume she bought at the drugstore downtown. It smelled like home. “Papa.” The man behind his mother had changed. His hair was streaked gray, the worry lines considerably deeper. 

Lance hated that it was his fault. 

“Lance!” the small girl threw herself up on the bed, with a little help of her uncle, Alex. She flopped onto his lap, forcing a small ‘oof’ out of him. Elsie scooped her up and set her beside Lance. “Lina, no. He’s fragile.”

“Hey, I’m tougher than you think,” his words were breathy. “Where’s Cam?”

“I’m here,” she appeared out of the shadows. “You can stop worrying.” Her eyes were red, her voice threaded with sadness. She glanced over at Pidge; they returned the quick look.

“Guys, what did I say?” Lance raised an eyebrow. “You don’t get to cry unless I cry.”

Mama wiped her eyes and nodded. Lance was competitive, that’s for sure. He wouldn’t be the first to break.

“You have one too?” Teddy prodded the oxygen tank sitting beside the bed. “You match Kade.”

“Keith,” Lance chuckled. “Yep. We’re basically twins now.”

The family stayed until closing time, which was approximately 8 o’clock. Lina refused to leave without her uncle, Cam stole a glove, and Teddy tripped on the trashcan, but other than that, the parting went smoothly. Only a small amount of tears. 

“I guess I look pretty sickly, huh?” 

The room was dark, the only source of light being a small device Pidge held. Lance lost track of them on day one. 

“What do you mean? We all do,” Pidge clicked away, barely looking up at their roomate. 

“They can’t get past the appearance,” he rolled over so that he could look at Pidge, to make sure they were invested in the conversation. “I feel like they aren’t even talking to me anymore. Just to my lifeless body.”

“Don’t say that,” Pidge looked up, worry flashing across their face. “Why would you say that?”

Lance inhaled deeply. “I think...this is it.”

All Pidge could do was stare in confusion. 

“If this is what dying feels like, then...I’m dying.”

“God Lance,” Pidge threw the electronic and sat up sharply. They took the clip off their finger and practically jumped out of bed, before making their way to the other. “I really hate you for this, you know that?”

Lance scooted over, afraid of what would happen if he didn’t. Pidge collapsed in a heap on the bed, tears flowing down their cheeks. 

Words could not save this. And he didn’t really want them to. All Lance could do was hold his sibling until sleep suppressed them. 

-

“He told you last night?”

“Yeah, I mean, he thought that maybe that was it, but...I don’t know.”

Coran tapped his pen against his cheek thoughtfully. The morning brought birds and sunshine, but it failed to bring Lance. He greeted the day with a fever, the nastiest wheezing Pidge had ever heard, and multiple periods of unconsciousness. 

“I suppose we could,” the doctor put his clipboard onto the counter. “Move him?”

“Oh, you thought I was complaining about the disruptions? No,” Pidge waved Shiro over, who just so happened to be walking by. “Please don’t move him. I just thought I’d tell you what he told me.”

“Thank you,” Coran nodded. “Shiro, are you about ready to get out of here?”

“Yeah,” the older boy smiled, his face proud. “This may not be the best time, though.” He glanced over at Lance’s room.

Keith knelt by the bed, holding Lance’s hand in his own. His face showed signs of tears, jagged lines trailing like snakes. His eyes were fixed on Lance’s face, shining with either water or adoration. Pidge couldn’t tell. 

“I agree,” Lance started to cough again, rudely awaking himself. Coran sighed and motioned for Pidge and Shiro to follow. “Do you know where Hunk is? He may want to be here.”

“Getting meds,” Shiro frowned. “What’s going on?”

Lance gripped Keith’s hand, his flashy smile unusually dull. To Keith, he looked just as astonishing as when he first met him. “Ah, I see you’ve-” he coughed. “Found my hideout.”

Keith grinned, allowing a tear to slip down his rosy cheeks. He looked up at the others as they approached the bed. He looked defensive, as if he would be able to ward off any harm that would come for Lance. He couldn’t do anything now. 

Hunk walked in, his usually bubbly self showing signs of the opposite. Some say that the closer you are to a person, the more intensely their emotions affect yours. 

“So,” Coran started, looking at every single person directly. “I believe it is time we say goodbye to Lance.”

“WHAT?” Pidge rushed to the bed, and another shield activated. 

“Coran, I don’t think that-,” Shiro found that he couldn’t finish his sentence. 

Hunk finally let out all of the emotions he had bottled up and stored away for later. 

And Keith? 

Keith sobbed. 

The whole room grew quiet. All except for Keith’s bone rattling, choking, terrible sobs.

“I can’t, I can’t leave him,” Keith gasped for words. “I can’t leave him alone for this." 

Shiro lunged forward, as Keith’s cannula fell from his nose. It’s not like he couldn’t breathe without it, everything would be fine if he wasn’t bawling. He spread over Lance, clutching onto the thin hospital blanket. The tubes fell to the floor.

“Should we-..?" Hunk whispered to Coran. He nodded, glanced back at the two boys, and proceeded to the door. 

And then there were two. 

“I love you so fucking much,” Lance let out a breathy laugh. “And I’m, getting the feeling that, you feel, the same.”

Keith met his gaze, the violet eyes mixing with the bright blue. “Yeah, I’ve just made a fool of myself for you. How’s that for love?”

They laughed. 

Lance reached for the suspended tubes. His hand was shaky, but his intention was firm. Keith swatted at the lifeline. 

“I don’t want it,” he crawled onto the bed next to his love. “I don’t want anything but you.”

The spot next to Keith was empty by morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I KNOW THIS IS LATE AND I'M SO SORRY.  
> At least it's up now. I plan on writing one more chapter after this one, so hang in there. I've started some other works, so expect to get some info about those sometime soon.  
> Enjoy! Let me know how you like it.  
> xoxo


	9. Chapter 9

Keith couldn’t move. 

His eyes were still adjusting to the bright sunlight coming through the window, and his hip hurt from lying on his side all night. But only one thing was on his mind. 

Lance. 

He sat up quickly, now wide awake. The room was silent. No beeping, or wheezing, or any of the previous noises heard in the hospital room the night before. Keith automatically thought the worst. Tears slipped down his cheeks. 

“Shiro!” Keith jumped from the bed. The door was cracked only a small bit, letting in a sliver of light from the hallway. “Coran!”

“Keith?” Coran appeared from behind the corner. “What’s wrong?”

“Where is he?” Keith practically ran to the doctor, tears welling at his eyes. Shiro and Hunk stumbled out of a door further away. They must have heard him. Keith would have been embarrassed any other day. “Please, please don’t tell me-.”

“Hey, what’s going on?” Shiro placed his hand on Keith’s shoulder. 

“Where is Lance?” 

“At this moment,” Coran glanced at the clock. “He should be about ready to wake up from his nap."

Keith didn’t realize that he was collapsing until Shiro caught him, his prosthetic arm digging into his side. Tears welled in his eyes for what felt like the millionth time. “He’s alive.”

“Very much so, and he's going to be just fine.”

“Just like that? How does that even happen?”

Coran retrieved a manila folder from behind the desk, the small letters spelling ‘Lance’ across the top. A stack of papers slid out of the opening. The doctor grabbed on, skimming over it’s contents. “We completely drained his lungs. It’s a dangerous procedure, not recommended by many, but at that point we decided to give it a try. By some miracle, it worked.”

Keith lifted himself off his brother, eyes glazing over for what felt like the fiftieth time that week. He wasn’t even sure he had cried that much in his whole life. Shiro studied him, taking in his emotions and reading his thoughts. He finally turned to Coran. 

“Is he ready to see him?”

“YES,” Pidge jumped out from under the counter, their glasses falling on the floor as they did so. They straightened, remembering the situation. “I mean, yeah, maybe. Cool.”

Coran walked towards the elevator, beckoning for the four friends to follow. The hallway was quiet, as it had started to grow dark outside. A storm was on the horizon, mixing with the darkness of dusk. 

“Please remember that we had to resuscitate him. He’s weak. Don’t fret, he’ll be just fine.” 

The elevator couldn’t have risen slower. Keith’s nails dug into his palm, his hands becoming clammy and shaky. Lance was alive. But was he okay? .5% of Keith didn’t want to find out. 

Of course, he didn’t have that choice, as they had finally made it out of the elevator and onto the ICU floor. Coran led them down the hall before stopping in front of a closed door towards the end of the corridor. He placed a finger over his lips and turned the handle. 

And there he was.

Lying on the hospital bed, an oxygen mask over his curved nose, Lance looked ill. But he was Lance. His skin was regaining color quickly, his breathing strong. The group stood in the doorway, obviously conflicted about what to do next. Coran nudged them forward. “He can hear you, you know. He’s asleep, not deaf.” 

Hunk stepped towards his best friend, smiling wider the closer he got. Lance looked at peace. He laid a hand on his blanketed leg. “Can I wake him up?”

“Carefully, don’t startle him.”

Hunk tapped Lance’s knee softly. Lance stirred, his blanket moving as he wiggled his toes. His bright eyes opened, calm and cautious. It was obvious that he was nervous for his own health. 

Coran walked over to the headboard, checking a vital on the computer beside it before slipping his oxygen mask off. “Only for a little while. Flirt now, sleep later.”

Lance huffed with a smile, making Keith walk swiftly towards the only bed in the room. He looked down at the boy he called his love with admiration in his eyes. He wanted to scream at him, to tell him how amazing and brave he was, but he failed to find the words. A tear ran down his cheek and landed on Lance’s. Keith quickly wiped it off, laughing quietly with embarrassment. 

“Someone’s tired,” Lance grinned and touched Keith’s hand. “Didn’t you get enough sleep?” 

Keith groaned, noting to punch Lance when he fully recovered. “You know who’s fault that was, don’t you? No? It was yours.”

“Well at least you didn’t get kicked out of your own room,” Pidge made their way into the circle huddled around Lance, and despite their comment, they looked just as relieved as everyone else.

“OUR room,” Lance repositioned himself further up onto his pillow. “I wasn’t your roommate for nearly a year, or anything.”

Shiro placed a hand on Lance’s shoulder, nodding proudly down at the man of the hour. “We’re proud of you. I think we can all agree on that.”

“Aw, guys,” Lance’s grin spread from ear to ear. “I couldn’t let you all down. Besides, I said I would only be in here for a bit, didn’t I?”

“Only 2 more months till you can be discharged,” Coran grabbed the oxygen back from where he had placed it before, ready to secure it back onto one of his favorite patients. “For now, you need rest. You’ll be back up and running in no time.”

\-------

The sky was dark, the only light being the moon and the streetlamp Keith was standing under. He rubbed his hands together, his red mitts not completely doing their job. No tubes hung from his nose that night. He had been free of the oxygen tank for two years at this point, and it was almost as if he never had one in the first place. One glance at his watch told him that Shiro would be calling him soon. 

He started walking towards Shiro’s house, where a party should have started fifteen minutes ago. Not really a party, more of a get together. A check in. 

“Keith!” A voice shouted from the stairs of his apartment. Lance hopped down the brick stairs, his smile as bright as the sun. Keith waved him over and tapped the back of his wrist. 

“We’re late!” Lance jogged up to Keith, sighing as he bent to catch his breath. Keith hooked his arm in Lance’s and pulled him upright, practically dragging him up the rest of the hill. Their breath was visible in the cold air. 

Shiro’s townhouse finally came into view, after what Lance felt like was an eternity. Lance turned to Keith, reaching out to straighten his red scarf. “Pidge will complain if it isn’t straight.” He laughed at the irony of the sentence. 

Keith wrapped his arms around Lance, sighing once more. The stars above them shimmered a hello. Lance saw it as a continuation of a story. Their story. He waved back discreetly, though Keith noticed anyways. 

“What was that?”

“Just saying thank you,” Lance turned them towards the house. “It’s too cold out here. Let’s go in.” 

Keith no longer needed to look up to to see his star. He would always be right next to him, forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO THIS IS IT  
> I KNow this chapter is short and sweet but, as sad as it is to say it, I have really strayed away from writing this fic. It was such an adventure, but it was my first fic EVER, and I find it a little embarrassing? Looking back at it now, as a more experienced writer (I write outside of the fan fiction community), it is really hard to look at. But here it is, a finished product. Thank you all so so much for all of your love and support, through the times when I had almost zero motivation to continue, to now, you have all been such a blessing.  
> THIS IS NOT THE LAST TIME YOU WILL HEAR FROM ME. As my senior year approaches, I am progressively getting busier and busier, but I have promised myself that I will invest more time and effort into my fics. Keep a look out ;)  
> I LOVE YOU ALL!!  
> xoxo


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